Polk Street Stories

A second intervention reflects on a public humanities project that challenged gentrifiers’ claims to be promoting “safety” and “family” on Polk Street by positing alternative understandings of both concepts—alternatives drawn from oral histories recorded with trans women, street kids, and working-class people who comprised the local performative economy. The project drew on life stories to bridge divides and shape debates about gentrification through oral history “listening parties,” mediated neighborhood dialogues, a multimedia exhibit, and radio documentaries.