Mindy Thompson Fullilove traverses the central thoroughfares of our
cities to uncover the ways they bring together our communities
After an 11-year study of Main Streets in 178 cities and 14 countries,
Fullilove discovered the power of city centers to "help us name and
solve our problems." In an era of compounding crises including racial
injustice, climate change, and COVID-19, the ability to rely on the
power of community is more important than ever. However, Fullilove
describes how a pattern of disinvestment in inner-city neighborhoods has
left Main Streets across the U.S. in disrepair, weakening our cities and
leaving us vulnerable to catastrophe.
In the face of urban renewal programs built in response to a supposed
lack of "personal responsibility," Fullilove offers "a different story,
that of a series of forced displacements that had devastating effects on
inner-city communities. Through that lens, we can appreciate the
strength of segregated communities that managed to temper the ravages of
racism through the Jim Crow era, and build political power and many
kinds of wealth. . . . Only a very well-integrated, powerful
community--one with deep spiritual principles--could have accomplished
such a feat." This is the power she hopes we will find again.
Throughout Main Street, readers glimpse strong, vibrant communities
who have conquered a variety of disasters, from the near loss of a
beloved local business to the devastation of a hurricane. Using case
studies to illustrate her findings, Fullilove turns our eyes to the
cracks in city centers, the parts of the city that tend to be avoided or
ignored. Providing a framework for those who wish to see their
communities revitalized, Fullilove's Main Street encourages us all to
look both inward and outward to find the assets that already exist to
create meaningful change.
