Rachel Goffe

Rachel will create an oral narrative of the stories of long-term residents of neighborhoods impacted by Philadelphia's changing real estate market and land use policies. She will work with community youth and organizers to create this narrative of Brewerytown and West Kensington. Through stories collected from residents, she will highlight the impact of rising property values, controversial property tax policies, and eminent domain abuse on the lives of residents. These narratives will be shared at community gatherings, on community blogs and radio, as well as in sound installations in community gardens that are being threatened by eminent domain. The sound installations invite the city at large to witness the beauty of places created by current residents alongside the story of how the community's very existence is being threatened. This project challenges mainstream media's telling of what is happening in these neighborhoods, in which low-income residents' stories are often framed without their consent or participation.