The Significance of a Dwelling Space in the Black Community
For many Black communities, dwelling spaces in the form of living spaces are places of pride and protection. A place where community members seek refuge and create space to support big life transitions. As the season of Autumn begins, it is the season of letting go as trees begin to lose their leaves as well as big cycles of change.
Historically, due to issues of displacement, natural disaster, and environmental racism, dwelling spaces stand as an archive of generations past. The family photos posted on the family matriarch. The family tree that is shared across multiple cousin groups.The family house becomes a space of comfort and celebration during times of grief and joy. Tradition, ritual, and ancestral wisdom are vital elements to a dwelling space.
A dwelling space is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as a place where someone lives. Dwelling spaces are also referred to as places and spaces that go beyond just a residence but also a place where refuge and resources are sought.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Study, researchers Kiana Cox and Christine Tamir wrote,
“About half (52%) of Black adults say the location where they currently live is extremely or very important to how they think about themselves…community ratings also differ by education and income. Black adults with a college degree or higher are significantly more likely than Black adults without a college degree to rate their community as an excellent or very good place to live, (56% vs. 36%, respectively).”
With politics, religion, and an inflated economy, it can be hard to sometimes feel good about one’s dwelling space or even improve one’s dwelling space. Education and income can provide access to resources to improve but aren’t always within one’s own control. However, the cost of living may inspire communities to cultivate and redefine what success means to them and how to still be seen, safe, and supported despite being in a culture plagued by instability.
Dwelling spaces can exist outside the physical. A dwelling space can sometimes be within family or within friend groups. A dwelling space can be a group who belongs to a church or professional organization. The idea behind a dwelling space is to provide space for transformations to happen and this couldn’t ring more true during a season that personifies change.
