CONCERNED CONSTITUENTS, CITIZENS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
PRESENT A MANIFESTO ON CULTURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (CED)
THAT DOCUMENTS THE UNTAPPED CONCEPT
Group to hold a Press Conference today – Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 3:00 PM to formally introduce a Manifesto on Cultural Economic Development (CED). The public is invited to attend at the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, 817 E. 104th Street in Chicago, Illinois.
Culture is viewed as an untapped source of capital for the Black Community. However, not to the broader public, particularly in the Billion Dollar Tourism industry, and area unfamiliar terrain for the African American Community.
David Peterson President of the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, and spokesperson for the group says, “We’re unwrapping this manifesto to the broader public. Designed to publicly acknowledge, that we know that our communities are under siege and everyone has an idea, but nothing seems to be working. We believe that is because we are not driving the ideas and the proposed solutions.”
There is no conventional or standard definition for cultural economic development. However, it is considered Economic Development activity that emphasizes arts and cultural activity in the planning and implementation of a project. CED is a concept has been written about extensively. Chicago’s Dr. Lyn Hughes 2010 Doctoral dissertation: CULTURAL POLICY AND THE CULTURAL ECONOMY: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF CULTURAL POLICY ON CULTURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL is an excellent source.
The manifesto is written from a cultural heritage perspective. We know that cultural inspiration can serve as an excellent vehicle to create change. The manifesto was crafted using the character traits of the museum’s namesakes, A. Philip Randolph and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, men who shared a strong sense of culture and belief that economic empowerment would be the source of liberation for our people.
Not only will this approach produce jobs in our own communities, and help restore an economic base but more important, cultural pride ; the glue that kept the black community together for decades.
That is not to say that this premise is not in operation in other communities; however, because there is a critical need for economic development in Black/Urban communities across this country, we believe it should be a primary consideration.
The creation of this type of project has the ability to draw investment from the entertainment community creating authentic philanthropic community development and asset based community development. This is a win for all, not just the back room deals that tend to govern what happens to community without community input or a “Community Benefits Agreement”. Moreover, this type of investment creates an environment that transforms the mindset of the community residents from donors to shareholders.
- The Manifesto would foster support of CED projects across the country some of which are in Chicago, like the proposed Culture Factory the proposed adaptive re-use of the Pullman Firehouse a transit-oriented development, located in the Pullman National Monument. Without which a project like this would face an uphill battle, and
- South Shore’s Regal Theater
If supported and implemented at the same level as the multi million dollars projects focused on sports facilities, can and will solve multiple problems for the people who need solutions that affect them as individuals, their families and their communities. There is nothing wrong with creating sports facilities, but most community residents do not share that interest. What about them? There ought to be a place that can nurtures and cultivates that interest in children and families alike.
Since the figure $20 Million Dollars seems to be the current figure used in the development in Chicago, We are calling the Manifesto the 20 Million Dollar plan. The difference is – it spells out the actual intent and some of the anticipated results. CED in action will utilize Arts and Culture as the tool to produce the desired results.
Cultural Economic Manifesto will create an environment that will cultivate CED
- Based upon the existence of the robust TIFF that investors and developers benefit from, we think the creation of a Transparent CBA for the entire 9th Ward
- Enactment of
- Public Safety Initiatives
An example of this would be development of a security company. A company that will train and employee veterans. This would result in a community security force. They would both live and work in their neighborhood.
- Public Health that include the creation of access to healthy food choices like that proposed by EAT TO LIVE Restaurant Group. A concept that emerged from The CHA Central Advisory Council’s Pilot Entrepreneurs program. This is a perfect example of community residents benefiting from programs developed. Low-income people have the opportunity to start their own business if they have access to the resources
According to Delaney (2004), CED is defined as culturally based economic development which is the converging of two areas of interest in an economic development effort, which includes (1) arts and cultural talents or events as the driving initiatives and (2) emphasizes economic development and cultural partners in planning and implementation and has a clear intent of cultural and economic effects for the community (p. 3; Arts Wisconsin, n.d.).
Arts Wisconsin offers that “there is no conventional, or standard, definition for cultural economic development, but most often it is considered to be economic development activity that emphasizes artistic and cultural partners in the planning and implementation of the effort” (n.d.).
Shared Identity Group (SIDG)