Freedom Wall Stakeholders Meetings Hosted By The Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission & The East Side Garden Walk
The Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission (MSAAHCC) and the East Side Garden Walk (ESGW) have partnered in hosting a public forum to discuss the much-needed maintenance of the Freedom Wall and specifically address community concerns with the exposed rebar, rampant littering, maintenance of the site, and safety concerns such as insufficient lighting. We began our series of public meetings late last year and have found that there is enthusiastic interest among the community. In 2021, we are continuing the listening process gathering community input and developing a community vision of a new Freedom Wall streetscape.
Together we are hosting a series of stakeholder meetings to address the concerns that include exposed rebar, insufficient lighting, rampant littering, and safety concerns. The Freedom Wall depicts the icons of the black community and as a piece it speaks to the history of struggle and perseverance of the black community. This artwork matters and the surrounding streetscape should reflect that.
We invite the public to participate in sharing ideas for improvement such as gardens and lighting. We are seeking broad representation from community groups, local officials, the original artists, and the organizations involved in its original inception.
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Read minutes from past meetings:
We have concluded the community input session of our improvement project!
Stay tuned for more!
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As an advocate for the community, the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission endeavors to integrate the African American cultural significance and impact on Buffalo’s history through public engagement, community education that will encourage cultural appreciation, preservation, and community development.
The East Side Garden Walk is an annual self-guided garden tour that aims to create a more vibrant and beautiful community by sharing our gardens, our stories, and our spirit of perseverance with those from within and outside our neighborhood. The ESGW is one way for East Side residents to take control of the narrative for our community. We believe that community activism can also begin with a community garden, which is why the ESGW works with other organizations to raise our neighborhoods up from within.
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To register for stakeholder meetings and receive your zoom link, please fill out the RSVP form found below.
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