NEIGHBORHOOD BRIEFS Feb. 17, 2022

Posted

LHENA ORAL HISTORY MARCH 16
Oral historian Dr. Kim Heikkila of Spotlight Oral History will be joining the LHENA board meeting on Wednesday, March 16 to present the Lowry Hill East Oral History Project. This grant-funded project was conceived by Wedge neighborhood historian Kathy Kullberg in 2020. Kullberg wanted to add to the history of Lowry Hill East by interviewing residents and former residents who played pivotal roles in the neighborhood during the 1960s and 1970s, a transitional period during which struggles over zoning, housing, transportation, safety, and neighborhood identity rose to the fore. This was also the era that saw the establishment of LHENA and The Wedge community newspaper. Dr. Heikkila and interviewees will join us for a moderated discussion about their experiences in the neighborhood. All are welcome to attend this virtual presentation.

CLEAN UP STEVENS SQUARE-LORING HEIGHTS
Join an earth-minded walking group in Stevens Square Park (1801 Stevens Ave) every Sunday from 1-2 p.m. to lend a hand in keeping the community sparkling clean. Meet at the pergola in the park. All supplies will be provided. This event is eligible for Rental Discount Hours. In event of cancellation, organizers will update social media, and change the listings on stevenssquare.org/events, as well as the SSCO Google calendar.

‘to have never known’ EXHIBIT
The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG) preserves, documents and highlights the achievements, contributions and experiences of African Americans in Minnesota. Its current exhibit, “to have never known,” can be viewed Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1256 Penn Avenue N.
Kehayr Brown-Ransaw’s exhibit, “to have never known,” is a presentation of quilts created by Brown-Ransaw based on his research about the trans-Atlantic slave trade that revealed the names of 43,191 children abducted and illegally sold into slavery from 1807-1870. During enslavement, Black and African communities in the United States largely documented themselves through quilting and various folk art crafts. As communities assimilated to Whiteness these traditions transformed into necessary means for survival. Interpreting census research into visual language, this work uses the life cycle of a quilt as a meditation on its historical context, both from its use as currency by enslaved women to gain access to White society, and its use as a shroud for children in both life and death.

STREETCAR MUSEUM LOOKING FOR DRIVERS
The Minnesota Streetcar Museum, one of the few “living history” museums in the Twin Cities, needs volunteers to operate the historic Minnesota streetcars at its two streetcar lines: the Excelsior Streetcar Line is located in downtown Excelsior, and the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line is in the Linden Hills neighborhood near the Lake Harriet Band shell in Minneapolis. In addition to operators, they are also looking for volunteers to become station agents, and recruiting people interested in maintaining the fleet of streetcars and the track. There will be informational meetings in late March. Operator training starts the following week. During training, which is scheduled on a flexible basis, people will learn how to operate the streetcar as well as a little history about Twin City’s streetcars. For more information, please visit the museum’s website, TrolleyRide.org or contact Pat Cosgrove at volunteer@trolleyride.org or 952-953-6559.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here