Considering Place in Providence, Rhode Island
By Avery Shaw, June 2022In the same way locals of Amsterdam can spot tourists in their city in seconds, the residents of Providence can scope out the college students who landed here by default. Universities have been a part of Providence for centuries, dating back to 1764 when Brown was first founded. And besides the occasional jab at RISD students for crossing the street too slow or at Brown students for undertipping at restaurants, the city of Providence and college students appear to live in symbiosis.
But you begin to notice walls built up once you dig a little deeper. For a creative city with art and culture, the elite universities stay reclusive. For a local culture that values community organizing and social justice, there is rarely collaboration with the young and passionate population across the canal.
It is an interesting problem at hand. The purpose of elite institutions is to gather the best in the world, whether that be in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales, in art and design at the Rhode Island School of Design, or medicine and science at Brown University. Schools like these are built on global models, scouring the world for the best talent to push fields forward for a greater good, to expand our collective knowledge, to make discoveries that can change our livelihoods.
There are consequences to global models like these, and they land on the people who weren’t in the equation to begin with. Universities cannot exist in a vacuum, as much as they wish they could. They occupy space in a city, and in Providence’s case, a lot of space. College Hill has been conquered by 18-25 year old transplants, and their territory continues to grow.
These elite institutions become ecosystems of their own; insulated and rich. Benefit Street is picturesque New England beauty; why? Because old, institutional wealth had the luxury of preservation. A college’s campus is an asset, so Brown University invested in their immediate landscape. In the spring time it is lush and floral. Grand old trees line the streets, covering pedestrians with shade as they pass historical churches and victorian architecture. But with any example of preservation, it is important to question: what has not be preserved? Just like any curation of art: whose narrative is being left out?
In this case, the West Side of Providence. Just across the highway. The city has been split in half, an East Side and West Side. Providence as a whole is 44% Hispanic. Mainly coming from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala. 13% is Black, coming from Cabo Verde and the Caribbean. And 6% is Asian, from India and China. 33% is non-hispanic White.
Black and Brown neighborhoods have consistently faced adversity. The power structure has never been in their favor — meaning less preservation and last priority. It can be seen in the 60s, when highways plowed through their neighborhoods; to the 80s, when urban renewal led to the out-pricing of POC communities; and still today, with private institutions leading gentrification as they continue to buy real-estate and claim the city.
College students mainly know the East Side of Providence, therefore, the white side of Providence. The East Side contains the five whitest neighborhoods in the city (Blackstone, Wayland, Fox Point, Hope, and College Hill). And unfortunately, the economic statistics go hand in hand with the demographics. Every neighborhood on the East Side sits within the top eight richest neighborhoods of Providence. If it isn’t one of the whitest neighborhoods, it is where a college university resides.
White, Rich Academia. A system running on a global scale functioning inside of a local environment is going to be extractive to one end of the deal. Brown University and RISD are not required to pay property taxes since they qualify as a non-profit. Perhaps this would be more excusable if these institutions served the Providence community directly. Instead it takes advantage of these financial breaks to keep their profits inside their insulated community.
Despite all these hurdles, the neighborhoods outside of this bubble are who truly define Providence. An incredible art scene thrives outside of the sphere of RISD, led the by Black and Hispanic communities from the West and South side of Providence. Silver Lake is filled with kids in backyards and decorated local businesses. Elmwood and South Providence are lined with cooperative gardens and community organizations.
As for myself, I am immensely grateful for this city. I am grateful for the flourishing art scene that encourages hobby to become career. One that expects artistic exploration for the sake of fulfillment and fulfillment only. I am grateful for total acceptance, whether you are queer, fat, trans, unemployed, unhoused, aimless, restless, or lost. I am grateful for the inspiration, proving that community organizing can make a real difference. Proving alternative systems of mutual aid can succeed. I am grateful for the diversity. I am grateful that despite infrastructure perpetuating segregation, despite institutional wealth drawing class divides, the community insists on being strong, inclusive and connected.
Providence has offered itself to me as home, and I am indebted. During moments of inconsistency, unpredictability, and vulnerability, the people and place surrounding me are there. Institutions can teach you, but they won’t defend you. Jobs offer stability, but with the threat of instability at hand. The world is too big to go through alone. Recognize your neighbor as someone with a shared experience. And recognize the place you inhabit as an entity that has done you a favor. How will you show your gratitude?
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