From the genocidal displacement of Native Americans to the gentrification of Harlem, Brooklyn, San Francisco, Washington, DC & many cities across America it has always been about land. In the great book, Streets of Hope: the Fall and Rise of an Urban Neighborhood, we learn the value of Co-Ops, land trusts and community-controlled-development in putting a leash on gentrification and envisioning development without displacement. How can art & creative expression be a part of holistic community development?

Kymone Freeman is a poet and award-winning playwright, the producer of NPR’s #AnacostiaUnmapped, and an activist working on equitable economic development. He is the subject of the book Beat of A Different Drum: Untold Stories of African Americans Forging Their Own Paths in Work & Life (Hyperion) & co-founder of We Act Radio.

Kymone Freeman

Poet; Playwright; Activist; Producer; Co-founder of We Act Radio

Washington DC, USA