No. 3.4: Preservation In Color Blog
In my historic preservation studies, I learned that preservation work requires a holistic approach to resolving the preservation issue. There is synergy in conducting preservation work. It’s not just a matter of restoring an old building but one has to first understand why the building is in need of restoration. Why it is deemed significant? How will it impact the local community if demolished or restored? Preservation work isn’t just limited to buildings but also the preservation of music, objects and literature amongst other things are just as important.
In my course work I had an assignment to write an article about what I learned up until that point. The concept that preservation work is holistic stuck with me. I wanted to highlight cases where synergy has worked in local communities. I focused on individuals who were using their respective talents and skills to preserve aspects of their community, specifically the Black community. The paper was a joy for me to write. I talked about the work of Ron Finley and Majora Carter. Two people who were using their knowledge to bring environmental resources that were lacking to their local community. Ron Finley has been teaching people how to grow their own fruits and vegetables in food deserts in Los Angeles while Majora Carter created an initiative called Sustainable South Bronx to address the environmental injustices in her community. It became one of those late night papers that I procrastinated about completing. However once the idea solidified in my mind, the words poured through my keyboard and onto my screen.
My joy in writing the paper didn’t last long. I was eager to have conversations over the topic but I had no one to engage with. So I kept my thoughts to myself for a while. Then I figured I would write about it. I tried to start a blog about Black art and the ways we preserve its history but I couldn’t get the creative juices flowing. I was inconsistent so I put it aside. During this COVID pandemic, I’ve been working from home with nothing but time and space to myself. I started thinking about that blog again. I toyed around with a new name. New ideas. Slowly but surely it came together. That’s how Preservation In Color was birthed. It’s been interesting thus far.
Watching the Instagram page grow has been a blessing. I only have 24 blog subscribers but I’m grateful for them. I still have difficulty in being consistent. Work life balance in addition to pursuing my creative “projects“ has taken some time to get a hang of. Although I have social media, I am a scroller. I don’t do a lot of posting so I’m working on being better at content management. In all, I am proud of myself for taking the leap to share my interest in historic preservation. I hope to expand on the blog content with both my personal thoughts and actual case studies of preservation work. I have a goal to connect with more people with the same interest throughout the year. I would love to meet all of you!!!
