Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Roanoke’s Gainsboro Gains Steam After Being Railroaded by Urban Renewal
Session Abstract or Summary
Roanoke, Virginia is not officially designated as “Appalachian” by the ARC (due to affluence? preference?), but its location between the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies, and its position of power as a railroad hub for transporting coal out of Appalachia, paints it solidly as an “AppalachA’ville” exemplar. At its height, Roanoke’s historic Gainsboro neighborhood boasted one of the most robust African American economies in the nation--until urban “renewal” dissected it over the last 70 years. Today, Roanoke’s Gainsboro residents seek to preserve their heritage, with sights set on reclaiming its symbolic, seminal building: The Dumas Hotel, where the greatest jazz musicians stayed as they criss-crossed the south searching for the safety of Green Book-designated travel destinations. This Gainsboro panel consists of three members of a community collective of artists and activists; business owners and religious leaders; educators and organizers; retirees, millennials, and youth joined together to ensure the neighborhood’s legacy, and its key landmarks, do not continue to fall prey to urban politics. Organizer and activist Martin Jeffrey, neighborhood elder and businesswoman Shmura Smith Glenn, and millennial “returnee” and educator, Natasha Saunders discuss their innovative vision of making Gainsboro vibrant again, through creating “community as classroom,” with teach-ins on porches and in the streets, performances on community-owned stages, produce grown in food-desert-defying gardens, and sustainable educational partnerships formed with institutions long-engaged in Appalachian studies, such as Virginia Tech and Ferrum College. Susan Virginia Mead, Ferrum College sociology professor and president of Diversity Serves, is the convener of this panel.
Presentation #1 Title
Legacy Remembered
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Martin Jeffrey, a minister, organizer, and activist who grew up outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma with its history as one of the most horrific experiences of “urban renewal”—the bombing of “Black Wall Street.” Martin will provide participants with an overall history of the consequences--physical, social, and emotional—caused by decades of urban renewal in the Gainsboro neighborhood within Roanoke, Virginia. He will bring the audience up to date, explaining current challenges in the attempt to breathe new life into the area’s signature historic buiding, The Dumas Center and the Black community as a whole. Martin will also share Gainsboro residents’ dreams of “next steps” in community ownership that has been longed for in the past.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Martin Jeffrey is a lifelong champion of civil rights and neighborhood activist, a life coach, and a former president of the Roanoke, Virginia NAACP. His work with ninety-eight community-based organizations in eleven jurisdictions helped increase their effectiveness and outreach through education, establishing partnerships, and building community relationships. He pursued a master’s degree in Human Services Counseling and Life Coaching through Liberty University. He currently serves as 2nd Vice Chair of The Dumas Hotel Legacy, Inc.
Presentation #2 Title
Legacy Lived
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
Shmura Smith Glenn grew up in Gainsboro family that started a home energy business in 1954, the same year that Brown v Board of Education began the road to integration on a national level, and only two years after Roanoke’s “urban renewal” plans began to dismantle the vibrancy of this African American neighborhood’s businesses and residences. In her role on the panel, Shmura will speak to what it was like to live in the neighborhood during the drastic changes, and then to return to run her family business and work tirelessly to restore her childhood neighborhood’s legacy.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Shmura Smith Glenn received her B.A. in Economics from Franklin College in 1972. She has since translated that degree into a career that has encompassed management, education, and community activism. She currently serves as President and CEO of Smith Energy, and as Chairperson of The Dumas Hotel Legacy, Inc.
Presentation #3 Title
Legacy Born
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
Natasha N. Saunders was born in Roanoke in the 1990’s, after much of the destruction of Gainsboro had taken place: houses lost, graves moved, and businesses closed. As a panel participant, Natasha will share her experiences of Gainsboro, first as a youth, and now as a millennial returning to restore hope and purpose among the young people currently living in the neighborhood. Natasha currently attends church in Gainsboro and also shares her expertise in education, agriculture, and diversity programming with its people. She has collaborated with 2 other women native to Roanoke to create a local non-profit, Trifecta, Inc. which is “focused on the empowerment of communities and youth while facilitating economic development through collective impact initiatives throughout the Roanoke and New River Valleys.”
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Natasha Saunders received her Master’s in Human Environmental Sciences from the University of Kentucky, where she also served in the Office of Diversity. She has traveled to Cuba and the Dominican Republic to assist with programs for underserved students, involving topics such as food sovereignty, food insecurity, and community resilience. She currently serves as the Director of the Student Opportunity Achievement Resources Program at Virginia Tech and as Secretary for The Dumas Hotel Legacy, Inc.
Legacy Remembered
Martin Jeffrey, a minister, organizer, and activist who grew up outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma with its history as one of the most horrific experiences of “urban renewal”—the bombing of “Black Wall Street.” Martin will provide participants with an overall history of the consequences--physical, social, and emotional—caused by decades of urban renewal in the Gainsboro neighborhood within Roanoke, Virginia. He will bring the audience up to date, explaining current challenges in the attempt to breathe new life into the area’s signature historic buiding, The Dumas Center and the Black community as a whole. Martin will also share Gainsboro residents’ dreams of “next steps” in community ownership that has been longed for in the past.
