New South meets Global South
The David R. Ravin School of Architecture 2023-24 Lecture Series
In 1886, Atlanta Constitution editor Henry W. Grady delivered a speech to the New England Society in New York City entitled "The New South," boasting of the vibrant economy of urban industrial growth in the post-Civil War South that was replacing the antebellum world of slavery-based rural agriculture. Cities like Charlotte continue to use this phrase to connect their identities with growth and financial prosperity and encourage investment. What was barely implied by Grady and is only just being acknowledged is the structural racism and exclusion inherent in this prosperity. Not only in the American South but throughout the so- called First World, we live in a new colonialism that continues to marginalize people of color and perpetuate inequitable access to resources.
Similarly, the "Global South" refers broadly to the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania that generally lie south of the Equator and were exploited by European colonization. These regions continue to be treated as opportunities for investment and wealth production, decimating economies and ecologies while continuing repression of local cultures. The economic, political, and cultural marginalization of the peoples and landscapes of the Global South mirrors that of the New South, demonstrating how colonialism and the violent pursuit of wealth continue today.
Curated by Associate Professor Nadia Anderson with Julio Diarte and Elena Vazquez Pena, the David R. Ravin School of Architecture's Lecture Series for 2023-24 will highlight research and design practices working to reveal the colonial injustices of the New South and the Global South as well as to celebrate their marginalized peoples and practices. Presenters are working to overcome social injustice by investigating topics such as territory, housing, immigration, race, social inequity, and civil rights. Their works provide insight into overcoming injustices while producing innovative solutions to issues including climate adaptation, sustainability, resilience, integration, and identity at scales ranging from regional territories to building materials.
Fall 2023
All lectures take place at 2:00 pm in the Boardman Auditorium in Storrs Hall unless otherwise noted.
September 27 Juan Carlos Cristaldo
October 2 Marlon Blackwell (presented with AIA Charlotte, 6:00 pm at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City)
October 9 Germane Barnes
November 8 Silvina Lopez Barrera
Spring 2024
January 17 Gabriela Rendon
February 7 Vernelle A. Noel
March 15 Reiko Hillyer
April 3 Mae-ling Lokko
April 10 David Gerard Gouverneur