Event photographs © Akinfe Fatou, courtesy of Save Harlem Now!
Supporting our interests close to home, AYON Studio was honored to participate in the Save Harlem Now! 2022 Preservation Conference on November 3rd. Sponsored by the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, the full-day symposium gathered preservationists, activists, and thinkers around a central theme of “Saving This Place! A Call to Action for Preserving Harlem.”
Held in the Nelson Mandela Room at the Ford Foundation in midtown, the program brought together a wide array of speakers who shared both the challenges and triumphs of their grass roots advocacy to preserve the cultural and architectural legacy of Harlem. These efforts have included awareness-building events such as educational opportunities and knowledge sharing in the form of lectures, dramatic presentations, author-interview series, oral histories and documentaries, and panel discussions; as well as cultural events such as music festivals and exhibitions. They also discussed economic development models and how to overcome barriers such as survivorship bias, underrepresented narratives, and climate-related issues to promote greater social justice in the neighborhood.
Currently serving as SNH Board Vice President, Angel Ayón moderated an afternoon session entitled “The Intervention: Finding a Way Forward.” Exploring various approaches for increasing designations in Harlem, the panel discussed best practices for historic preservation and examined other cities’ efforts to support historic preservation in African American communities. Panelists included Erica Avrami, Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation at Columbia University; Karen Taylor, Founder and Executive Director, While We Are Still Here; Mtamanika Youngblood, Chair Emeritus and Founding Board Chair, Sweet Auburn Works.