Spatial Codes of Racial Capitalism: Norms and Breaks in Rural Ohio

The Little Cities of Black Diamonds refers to the historic coal town mining communities and crucibles sparked from the Appalachia region’s labor and civil rights movements in southeast Ohio. This project proposal documents the living, proud memory of Rendville, Ohio, that runs counter to marginalization in Appalachia. Since the summer of 2021, I’ve worked with two organizations in Perry County, Ohio; the Little Cities of Black Diamonds (LCBD) and the Rendville Historic Preservation Society (RHPS). We have worked to expand and activate a community-based archive and adaptively repurpose two significant structures of African American heritage in Rendville. The communities of the Little Cities region, especially Rendville, have rich cultural histories that are often misconstrued by outsiders or harvested for cultural capital. The preservation of assets for the members of this community to maintain ownership over their own heritage has been a significant step in our work. Especially, to build upon the legacies of radical networks and living archives as spatial plans that connect islands against the totality of enclosure and extraction in Perry County.

My role:
Proposal development and grant seeking/
Pre-design and social facilitation/

Led by LCBD Founding Members, Cheryl Blosser and John Winnenberg; LCBD Council Members, Kellye Blosser, Kylie King and Historian, Tyler McDaniel; RHPS Council Member, Janis Ivory.