In the movie Field of Dreams, James Earl Jones’ character says “America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again.” Over the past year, we have taken a deeper look at ourselves, asking who have we been and who do we want to be? As we work on rewriting America’s blackboard, we can look to Buffalo’s West Side to understand where we have been and find some direction for where we want to go. The scars and advancements of our social, economic, and cultural change are all over this neighborhood. Within these streets lie the birth pains of a city and a nation, its growth and advancement, its failings, and its ever-changing identity. This walk will look at the cultural, socio-economic, and identity crossroads this neighborhood has repeatedly confronted. It can be seen in our parks, architecture, historic markers, and businesses that make up this neighborhood. We will end by looking at the promise of our present, building hope for our future, leading to our new Buffalo and our new America.
The walk will begin at the empty plinth of the former Columbus Memorial in Columbus Park/Prospect Park. The walk will cover a mile and a half and last about an hour and a half. The group will walk along Niagara Street and into the neighborhoods along Jersey Street, Fargo Avenue, and West Avenue. Highlights will include Prospect Park, Front Park, The Fargo Estate Community Gardens, various businesses along Niagara Street, and D’Youville College. The walk will end at the newly opened Health Professions Hub.
Led by: Russell Davidson – the Title III Project Director at D’Youville. He has experience working in government, finance, cultural and academic institutions. Russell has a long history of developing and managing collaborative, innovative projects, bringing together diverse industries and disciplines with a goal of impacting social change.
Meeting Place: The walk will begin at the empty plinth of the former Columbus Memorial in Columbus Park/Prospect Park.
