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Art-&-Facts
Children's Village
Renee Durham
Since its inception in 2008, the Homewood framework for creating visual representation of
Children's Village has sought to revive and the past, present and future; promoting an organic
connect children and their families to community visioning process that can rebirth systemic
based opportunities that build on their total change.
history, beyond slavery, Jim Crow, and the Civil Harambee in and of itself, creates strategic
Rights Act of 1964. community alliances and partnerships that must
operate year around. This intentional activity is
Over the past 50 years, Homewood has been dis- culminated annually at the Harambee Ujima
invested in, it's population has dwindled from Black Arts Festival. Notwithstanding, the
over 30,000 people in the 1940's to a little over relationships developed over the years constitute
6,000 people today. This populations shift has the real reason the Harambee Ujima Festival
eroded the infrastructure of Homewood and runs exists.
the risk of disenfranchising an entire segment of
Pittsburgh's Black population and History. The The Village is a proud partner, sponsor, and
evidence of such practices are evident in the Hill convener of residents, stakeholders, and
District. When we consider the impacts of Urban businesses, in an effort to help Homewood realign
Redevelopment on the historical Hill District, one its gifts, skills, and talents with the new emerging
can surmise that an entire segment of the green Collar Global Economy in Pittsburgh. The
historical Hill District has been eviscerated. Village's focus on academic readiness and
Today, the Hill District continues to fight to community stability are intertwined with the arts
remain apart of the emerging paradigm shift and cultural focus of Harambee. This is not a
taking place in the lower and upper Hill District; strength of the Village, therefore, partnering with
fighting for relevance in a fast moving gig community leaders and visionaries is important to
economy. maintaining a focus on the needs of the children
and families we serve.
Today, Homewood sits at the perspicuous of
transformational change. The Village seeks to It is a pleasure to be represented along with many
stabilize its most vulnerable community members others this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary
in an effort to fortify the community with year of the Harambee Festival. We look forward
historical families, stakeholders, and businesses to many more!
that have survived the collapse of the once
The Homewood Children's Village
booming Steel Mill era in Pittsburgh.
The Harambee event is not a one time activity,
moreover, its a year long effort to catalyze
community residents, stakeholders, and
Arts
businesses to reaffirm themselves in the shifting 7 5
1
platform of Pittsburgh. Harambee offers a cultural 1 0 A r t s
0
context to the work of the Homewood Children's 2 2
e
Village, providing substance to the academic
Festival
effort we focus on daily. Harambee provides a F s t i v a l
