Resident Committee #2
History and Storytelling
Date: May 3rd, 2022
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Place: UTSA Westside Community Center
Number of Attendees: 28 Residents
We welcomed 11 new members to the committee and started with a quick recap of the project introduction and overview. After a few questions we moved onto our focus for the evening, the history of Alazan Courts. We were honored to have 3 guest speakers share their perspectives.
Dr. Christine Drennon, professor of sociology and anthropology at Trinity University, shared the history of the Westside. She explained how the neighborhood patterns were impacted from the earliest settlements by immigration trends, local politics, land use policy and more.
Graciela Sanchez, Director at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, dove into more detail about the history of Alazan Courts. She shared stories about the important roles of housing advocate Father Tranchese, Elanor Roosevelt, and architect Steven Nyfach.
Leticia Vela, former resident and author of “Los Courts,” shared her family’s history of being one of the first tenants of Alazan Courts and the impact that safe and secure housing had on her family.
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