#ReclaimDunbar SMTX to host community conversation open to the public

#ReclaimDunbar SMTX is hosting a community conversation with residents of the Dunbar neighborhood on June 25th at Jackson Chapel a 7 p.m. #ReclaimDunbar SMTX is seeking Dunbar’s counter-life stories as they reclaim the lived experiences and lost assets of the Dunbar community.

#ReclaimDunbar SMTX’s vision is to restore the vitality of the Dunbar neighborhood while preserving the arts, culture, and innovation of African Americans in San Marcos, Tx. Through gathering counter-life stories, Dr. Shetay Ashford-Hanserd says, “We want to uncover the hidden truths about the African Americans and Hispanics in the Dunbar community.” With these stories, #ReclaimDunbar will challenge the majoritarian perspective or master narrative about the lived experiences of historically marginalized people of color in the area and help perpetuate Dunbar’s roots.

As principal investigator, Dr. Shetay Ashford-Hanserd (Department of Occupational, Workforce, and Leadership Studies (OWLS)) is joined by her co-principal investigators Dr. Eric Sarmiento (Department of Geography), Dr. Colleen Myles (Department of Geography), and Dr. Steven Rayburn (Department of Marketing) and a team of student researchers from Texas State University. The research team seeks to engage current and former Dunbar residents, members of Dunbar churches, and other concerned citizens in San Marcos in this critical conversation.

The Dunbar neighborhood is historically African American and home to many cultural landmarks like the historic First Baptist Church, Calaboose Historic African American Museum, the Cephas House, the Dunbar Park Recreation Center and former Dunbar school, and numerous longstanding Dunbar community churches. In more recent years, the Dunbar neighborhood has witnessed a boom in its Hispanic population that validates the area’s designation as a cultural district and heritage site.