Tremé: How 'Urban Renewal' destroyed the cultural heart of New Orleans

This is part two of Charisse Gibson’s two-part “Tremé: Death of a neighborhood, survival of a culture” series about the downfall of the historic New Orleans neighborhood. Click here to read part one.

NEW ORLEANS ⁠— Congo Square’s surroundings are ever-evolving, as many say attempts to modernize New Orleans come at the expense of Tremé.

“It was known by the Spaniards in the 1760s, when they took over Louisiana, as Plaza Los Negros, ‘the Black Place,’” says historian Al Jackson, owner of the Tremé Petit Jazz Museum. But of course, it became known as Congo Square: Where the indigenous were allowed to congregate.

Dr. Eric Johnson is the President of Urban Regeneration Advisors. When talking about the forces that took down Tremé, he says they were swift and unforgiving. He says the square created a strong footprint, but it was massive projects that permanently cut through the heart of the neighborhood.

FULL STORY:

source