Sudhu Tewari’s Artist Statement

I’ve watched my neighborhood in South Berkeley change since I moved here in 2002. Over the years I’ve developed a close relationship with my immediate neighbors and I’ve come to understand that there are complex social and political relationships between the families who grew up in this neighborhood (and whose parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents lived in this same neighborhood) and families who have more recently arrived. Anecdotally, I’ve heard, mostly from my neighbors, of the difficulties that black families faced as the neighborhood changed. I’ve found myself in a difficult position as a newcomer to the neighborhood. I’ve commented on the gentrification of the neighborhood, painfully aware of the fact that I am also a factor in that gentrification, despite being BIPOC myself. 

This project, Redline Redefined, presented a unique opportunity to dig into the unsavory history of oppression in this, my neighborhood. The practice of redlining, and other practices of racial discrimination have had lasting effects on this, and many others, communities. I welcomed the opportunity to interview my neighbors, to record their voices, tell their stories through their sounds and began to learn more about the history of this community. Through this process I’ve come to know a few more of my neighbors, learned some of the neighborhood’s history, and developed a better sense of how to be a part of this community. I hope that these pieces are informative and inspirational to others!