DSNI Deconstructs

DSNI Deconstructs is a podcast series that engages guests and listeners to examine the relationship between democracy, community land trusts, and the power of citizens to decide the future of their built environments. In the spirit of DSNI’s history of bringing communities together to plan, organize and give voice to those most impacted, DSNI Deconstructs explores with our guests key elements that shape policy & practice that impact our community and its members. With a focus on land trusts and the efficacy of community organizing, together we explore through the lens of racial equity generative paths forward as we question, analyze and think towards the futurity of our community and city together.

Fairmount Cultural Corridor

The Fairmount Cultural Corridor combines collaborative efforts of residents, artists, community organizations and businesses to support vibrant, livable neighborhoods along the Fairmount Commuter Line. In 2012, DSNI, The Boston Foundation, and Art place America launched the Upham’s Corner pilot, with DSNI as a partner, to encourage vibrant cultural economic activity through place making interventions. This includes oral histories, interactive public art installations, outdoor markets, and complementary business activity around the Upham’s Corner Fairmount train stop and anchored by the historic Strand Theatre.

Neighborhood Voices

Neighborhood Voices, a project of DSNI, engages multiple generations in the documentation and promotion of the stories of families that moved to the neighborhood in the decades following WWII and rebuilt the community across diverse racial, ethnic and linguistic identities. The purpose of the project is to capture Boston neighborhood history, to capture diverse life stories of residents, to arm next generation with history and stories, and to inform thinking about present and future challenges

Murals

DSNI has been involved in the creation of many murals over the years, from our first mural outside of Davey’s Market on Dudley Street depicting heroes from our community, to the most recent murals on East Cottage and Norfolk Street (pictured left). In collaboration with the MBTA and 5 local artists, the newest murals brings new vibrancy to the community. The artists selected for the project, Luis ‘Take 1’ Taforo, Geo ‘GOFive’ Ortega, Eyevan, Ricardo Gomez, and Michael Talbot, are all local and have spent a portion of their lives in the Dudley Street community, which was an important part of DSNI's selection process. The inspiration and meanings behind each mural are rooted in perspectives that are homegrown and locally sourced.

Documentaries

The story of DSNI is told in the award-winning documentaries Holding Ground (1996) and Gaining Ground (2012). Holding Ground tells the story of how Roxbury residents fought to close down illegal dumps, gain unprecedented control of land from the City of Boston, and create a comprehensive plan to rebuild the fabric of their community.

Gaining Ground was filmed a decade later and focuses on the reasons why none of the homes that the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative had built were in foreclosure at a time when the mortgage crisis was devastating communities across America. A new generation of leaders are interviewed in the film, providing perspective on the successful and innovative grassroots organizing led by DSNI. The videos can be watched on www.kanopy.com.