It’s a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon, and it’s quite easy to spot joggers and visitors in Central Park, or other parks. Ice cream trucks lure children with their annoyingly familiar song blasting through the speakers, and one would easily be glad and appreciative of this vast, green, public space. But wait. What exactly does public space mean? According to UNESCO, “Public space refers to an area or place that is open and accessible to all peoples, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. These are public gathering spaces such as plazas, squares and parks” (“Inclusion Through Access to Public Space,” 2010). Yet, anyone knows that a location without any racism or privilege due to race doesn’t exist. Although Kevin Loughran states that the “issues of privilege, economic growth, and consumption are bound up in the neo-liberalization of public spaces,” (63) it’s also extremely necessary to dig deeply solely on the privilege derived from certain ethnicities.
The media portrays parks and public spaces to be safe locations for all types of ethnicities. But the media also broadcasts various crimes towards mostly non-white people. And this is where the confusion between two types of people, Group A and Group B, is born. Group A, are mostly white people who have rarely experienced racial threats. Thus, it’s difficult or even impossible for them to understand why public space can be an area of danger. After all, what could possibly happen during a simple workout? Now, Group B, are people whose histories begin with racism, making it hard for them to fully believe in “safety.” Even when they’re walking down the streets in broad daylight, they may have to deal with racist slurs and harassment. And they might wonder if they’ll ever feel fully protected. After all, no matter where they go, they won’t feel welcomed and treated with respect.
Brentin Mock explains this idea of Group B in his “For African Americans, Park Access Is About More Than Just Proximity,” because he was baffled at the idea of parks being predominantly white. He states, “The Cedar Hill State Park is an 1,826- acre park found just southwest of Dallas, and it is surrounded by communities where African Americans make up more than half the population. But black people make up only around 11 percent of the park’s visitors compared to 67 percent white visitors, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department” (2016). This is a surprisingly odd phenomenon, and a strong proof that parks are not equally used. The fact that Cedar Hill State Park is surrounded by African American communities only serves as a critical evidence against people who might claims, “Maybe non-white people just don’t go to parks, because it’s so far.” During the interview conducted to elucidate this issue, some of the residents claimed, “They don’t really say anything to encourage us to come. All we hear is that some groups went, if we hear that any people of color went there, nothing positive that they say about it, so we stay away from there. They make it sound as if it’s not for us. People talk about it, but they talk about it like it’s their (whites’) place that they go” (Mock, 2016). Why would anyone wish to go to park if he or she doesn’t feel welcomed? Brentn Mock continues to shed a light upon the ignored side of public space, giving another example of where African Americans held an extremely successful Juneteenth celebration, and the entire committee was expecting a reward or an honor. Luckily, the participants and staff were awarded a national award through the NRPA (National Recreation and Park Association). But “when it was the time to go and receive the award, not one African American was on the trip. Yeah, it was all White Americans. So, to the African Americans that was a slap in the face” (2016).
This idea is also evident in Kevin Loughran’s article, who states, “A dozen people, mostly white young adults, are in line at the espresso bar; others wait for gelato and tamarind-flavored popsicles” (60). Okay, some could claim that maybe only white people were extremely thirsty! But then he again claims, “Here there are a handful of wooden chaise lounges that are seemingly always occupied- often by white adults taking naps” (Loughran, 60). Now, this is not just a mere coincidence. The Chelsea Market passage, a public space, is predominantly white! But isn’t public space supposed to be a location that allows any group of ethnicities and genders to enjoy themselves? So where are Asians, African Americans, Latinos, and Indian American? Truth is, there’s no safe place for them. To them, public space doesn’t exist. It never has, and it might never will be.
Even though Kevin Loughran has done a solid job in explaining the value of neo-liberalization of public spaces and parks, it’s much more important to focus on the hidden, racist treatments that residents face every day.
Mock , Brentin. “A Legacy of Racism in America’s Parks.” CityLab, 3 June 2016, www.citylab.com/design/2016/06/for-african-americans-park-access-is-about-more-than-just-proximity/485321/.
Inclusion Through Access to Public Space | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/urban-development/migrants-inclusion-in-cities/good-practices/inclusion-through-access-to-public-space/.
