Audio File
Transcript
My full name is Renarda Walker. I was born and raised in the Hill District in the early ‘60s, and my relationship to the Hill District is I’m the founder of the I Am So Hill organization. Growing up in the Hill District, we had many black-owned businesses along Centre Ave., Wylie Ave., Webster Ave., Bedford Ave., and we really didn’t have to go downtown Pittsburgh for anything because of all the businesses. We had the supermarket, we had shoe stores, we had record stores. Y’all probably don’t know anything about little records that we used to play, but we had the record store, we had convenience stores, we had the fish market, and I used to love to go down to the fish market because you know, they have the fish right up outside, or inside as well, you know and as a little kid, you get really defiant a little bit. You want to touch the fish. You want to see if it’s going to move and things of that nature. We had the cleaners. We also had the theatre, the New Granada theatre, and we had many, many, many stores there. It was amazing. And one thing that stood out growing up in the Hill District is many of our ancestors would bring a lot of things where we can do and-and enjoy in the Hill District, one being the parade. The parade used to come through the Hill District. It used to start from Herron Ave., march all the way to Centre Ave. all the way down to the Point and my point being is that there were a lot of activities for the children in the Hill District that kept our minds occupied. The Hill District was basically a family orientated group. Everyone looked out for one another, everyone helped one another. I wish you all would have grew up in my era, and that’s why my organization, I try to bring that back to the community, bring that village back so you all can have something to do. My role model is my mother. She was born in Birmingham, AL and she faced racism as well. She has faced being called the N word when there was nothing she could do about it, she had to accept it. She gave me the strength to… It’s not what they call you. It’s who you answer to. And she told me “I named you Renata, and that’s who you answer to. As long as you know who you are, doesn’t matter what other people will think.” Growing up, I didn’t have my identity, so to speak, or didn’t know what I wanted to do, and a lot of these programs that were set in place in the Hill District gave me my identity. One that stood out was Nate Smith, and Nate Smith was a black activist who fought for the rights of those African Americans, particularly in the Hill district community, and I looked up to Nate Smith, and that’s when I wanted to become a black activist myself. And I used to always be over my grandma’s house, and I would look out the window, and it was exciting because when you look out the window, and you see Nate Smith, and you see everybody, and you’re like, “he’s about to do something.” But I was a little girl. I couldn’t go out there and march with them, but it was just so exciting seeing him and all the black men who stood with him to fight for justice, you know, and equality and civil rights, and I used to just be amazed just by watching them walk past my grandma’s house and wishing I could be behind them throwing my fist up too, but it put some fire inside of me. It’s like I want to be like him. I want to fight for justice. I want to fight for equality. You know? I want to make things better in the Hill District community, even if I have to stand alone. All of the things that we had growing up in the Hill District community, today I don’t see. You don’t see the unity as much within the community, which is something that I’m trying to bring back, you know? I’m trying to bring back that village. As long as we have that village, we’ll be OK, and we can stand strong. I’m proud to have grown up in the Hill District, and I’m proud to be in that fight to rebuild the Hill district. I would advise you all: Stay proud of who you are and growing up in the Hill District where you grew up. And remember this. You are a part of history in the Hill District, and you want to share that history with those coming up, or anyone who want to listen to. And if you see some type of injustice, put it in your heart and fight against it, and don’t be afraid, and know you are… you are queens. You all are the future. You all are going to fight to build this community up the way you all want it.