That Sunnyside Pride

The most dangerous neighborhood--that's what it's labeled when you google, "Sunnyside, Houston, Texas". And yet, it's not even close to what it's described.

The most dangerous neighborhood--that's what it's labeled when you google, "Sunnyside, Houston, Texas". And yet, it's not even close to what it's described. I had heard my 93-year-old granny describe Sunnyside as another version of Black Wall Street for them in the 50s--it was a sanctuary for the Black community.

The journey started with photographing historical sites, community leaders, and the community itself; this includes families and folx that have been a part of Sunnyside for generations. Having a mixture of the Sunnyside community showcases not only the lineage it holds but also that every generation cares and is proud to be a part of this community. It has then grown into a continuing pursuit to collect oral history and the preservation of community members' stories.

This project is close to home for me if you go over the railroad tracks towards Mykawa and Bellfort that is where my home lies but my childhood consisted of those areas. Those areas are off of Bellfort, South Park, and Sunnyside. It is unique in its own way full of country and city life but I consider that aspect of what Houston is about. You can’t take the country or the city out of Houston. I see my community changing, I see more surveillance in the areas and I see the housing is starting to change; this means the landscape of the land is starting to gentrify. I see Black voices being silenced, I see a Black historical neighborhood and its history disappearing along with it. Creating this work, I made an obligation to myself and the community to preserve, uplift, and represent Sunnyside in all its grandeur, that Sunnyside Pride. A community that was first built upon serving others and depending on each other. A community that organizes and mobilizes to always protect their homes. I still see the essence of that within the community--though folks move away and families pass on over time, you can't erase the soul out of this community. I take away with this quote that one community member said when I first started this project:

“May the embers of the next generations burn so bright that it ignites and continues what we and the generation before us all started for this beautiful community.”

May this work be a call and response to the continuation of giving back to a community that deserves and is more than worthy of its flowers