Free Black people, and spread across the south taking various forms and being shared becoming part of the American architectural heritage. 36 Today shotguns can be found in the Fourth Ward and in Cabbagetown which shows the sharing and cultural connections between early Black and White Atlantans. In the United States, most Black people are descendants of enslaved Africans even if their origins are based in the Caribbean. Huff describes one resistance tradition families in Buttermilk Bottom used, they changed their family names. 37 Changing one’s family name signified a reclamation of identity and dignity. For example, dropping of the “s” in Woods to become Wood, or turn a first name into a last name, such as Jack’s son or Jack Jr. becoming Jackson. 38 In African cultures, the naming process is a sacred tradition and connects one’s identity to community. 39 For Black people in the United States, attachment to a geographic space is significant as it signifies a sense of belongingness and is a source of identity. For this reason, the pain associated with the razing of these Black community lingers for former residents of demolished and/ or revitalized communities and their descendants, and they continue to hold a deep pride about where they come from. The Black Bottoms exist across geographies in the US and these communities are celebrating their diverse histories and acknowledging their common legacies. Detroit, Knoxville, and Dallas are a few historic Black Bottom communities with visible public history documentation projects demonstrating pride in their shared experiences and are using these as tools to reclaim lost narratives. The Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program, which includes Atlanta’s project, The Stitch, aims to “acknowledg[e] the historical injustices wrought by past transportation policy, and is committed to rectifying them through equitable, sustainable development […] by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity, including to mobility, access, or economic development.” 40 This initiative seeks to restore community ties and promote inclusive growth. “When we talk of housing we are talking of more than simply shelter. We are talking of cities, we are talking of transportation, we are talking of various facilities that make up the communities in which we live. And of course we are talking of people.” Robert C. Weaver, Federal Housing Authority 41
36 Vlach, “The Shotgun House”, p. 59. 37 Huff, “Descendants”. 38 Huff, “Descendants”.
39 Joshua U. Abu, “ The Significance of Names in African Culture ” , March 1, 2023. https://nicholasidoko.com/blog/2023/03/01/the-significance-of-names-in-african-culture/ 40 “The Project”, The Stitch, https://thestitchatl.com/project 41 Scott Stanley, “Blocks of Slums in Summer Hill, Vine City, Buttermilk Bottom, House Minority: Last of A Series,” Atlanta Daily World, March 6, 1963.
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