A Penn archaeology project uncovers a historic Black neighborhood destroyed decades ago: "It was a travesty"
Archaeology students from the University of Pennsylvania are joining community members to uncover the history of a historic Black neighborhood in West Philadelphia that was demolished decades ago in the name of urban renewal.
From bottles to food scraps, students have unearthed thousands of artifacts that offer a glimpse into the lives of residents from Black Bottom, West Philadelphia's first Black neighborhood. The project, called Heritage West, is now in its third year.
"The most important thing that we can do is lend material weight to the stories that are already being told by community members," Megan Kassabaum, an associate professor of anthropology at Penn, said.
One of those community members is Erik Weaver, whose family lived in Black Bottom. The area stretched roughly from 33rd Street to 40th Street, with Lancaster Avenue as its northern boundary and Market Street as its southern boundary.
"It was a thriving neighborhood with businesses, stores on Spruce Street, barbershops, supermarkets and tailor shops," Weaver said.
But in the 1960s, the West Philadelphia Corporation urged the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to declare the neighborhood blighted. Black Bottom was demolished, making way for what is now University City.
Weaver's parents were among the residents displaced when the neighborhood was torn down.
"For me personally, it was a travesty, a devastating effect," Weaver said. "There was a lot of worry about where will I reside now? How fast can I find another place without funding, without help?"
Now, Weaver is helping students search for artifacts that tell the story of a vibrant community his family once called home.
The primary excavation site is in the parking lot of the Community Education Center at Lancaster Avenue and North 35th Street. This year, the project expanded to include two sites on Drexel University's campus.
The weekly excavations are part of a Penn archaeology class called "Digging in the City of Brotherly Love." Students get hands-on experience while connecting with the people and places that came before them.
"Something that I've always been fascinated and that got me into archaeology is how narratives like these have just been erased and left out of textbooks," Aliviah Wolkow, a sophomore at Penn, said. "This course does a great job in teaching a part of history that hasn't always been given the attention it deserves."
Weaver is part of a committee working to get a Black Bottom historical marker at North 36th and Market streets. He said recognition is important, but he also wants an apology for the harm done to the community.
"It was a wrongdoing that should have never happened," he said. "I feel unease knowing that we can't change the past, but we can try to make the future better for everyone."
Weaver hopes bringing the truth to light will honor his family's story and keep it from being forgotten.
"Just because the houses cease to exist, it doesn't mean that the memories or the communities cease to exist," Kassabaum said. "We want to make sure that Penn and Drexel students know the deeper history of their campuses."
