Thank you Ken Reardon for your inspiring visit

CHARP was greatly inspired by our recent visit from Dr. Ken Reardon, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Memphis. As a long time community activist, Ken has worked in East St. Louis, New York City and Memphis in an effort to empower and collaborate with people facing the direst structural inequalities.

He spoke with Prof. Janni Sorensen’s GEOG 2000 class about their neighborhood projects, giving them insightful feedback about their findings and pointing to the need for sustainability in any neighborhood-level initiative.

On Thursday afternoon, Ken spoke to a diverse group of students and faculty about his experiences working with community activists. From Cornell to the University of Illinois, Ken has faced many challenges in tipping the balance of power and resources in favor of the most disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. He regaled us with his successes and spoke of the great obstacles the most challenged communities in America have had to overcome to make a good life for themselves.

Representatives from our partner neighborhoods joined Ken and the CHARP team for a lunch forum on Friday. Residents shared their experiences and concerns and came away from the forum with new ideas and insights to apply to their neighborhoods.

We’d like to thank Dr. Ken Reardon for his encouragement, enthusiasm, and inspiration. The members of CHARP look forward to working with Dr. Reardon in the future and carrying the excellent and important work he has trail blazed through our American cities. He’s an example to us all and we hope to elevate CHARP to a higher level in order for us to better serve and empower our partner neighborhoods now and in the future.