Shadow Falls: An Anomalous Public Space
When considering the Macalester Groveland neighborhood, we found ourselves reflecting on how the neighborhood was built and who it is built for. In general, the neighborhood is either residential or commercial spaces that are all privately owned, with little interactional space. This environment is built to support the needs of the most influential members of the area— wealthy white older residents. We selected Shadow Falls Park as the subject of our ethnographic study because of its unique existence as a public space in the neighborhood. Within our research, we found specific functions of group creation and reinforcement to be especially prominent at the river; throughout the various ways people use the space, we consistently found a lack of interaction between atomized groups of people. This atomization and even segregation connects to our class’ focus on Bonilla Silva’s theory of racial grammar.
These images give a sense of the park environment, which one interviewee described as in "bloom" during the peak of fall foliage.
Go by Bike
Biking culture is a significant part of the use of the river observation space. This label commemorates a teen who was killed by a car in the Twin Cities in 2018 by urging people to bike instead of drive. The sticker expresses a desire for a post-car future. Originally in Portuguese, the text in English reads:
Pollution? Stress?
Go by bike
Latinos united USA *Amd* your life
JAZMIN ANABEL GONZALEZ ROJAS
Afterwards
Angel’s protection
Jesus
Cultural Rythm Audio
Though the space is predominantly white,
Shadow Falls Park is multidimensional,
and this audio file represents that. The audio file
contains a Latine rhythm that we recorded. While
this audio was playing, a lady wearing cultural
attire was dancing to this while being recorded by someone
who accompanied her to Shadow Falls Park.
The River at Night
As well as the daytime activities widely enjoyed by the community at the River, there is also a vibrant nightime culture at the river. People enjoy bonfires and night walks, mostly before temperatures lower. There is a large culture around the use of illict substances at the River space. We have observed a percieved privacy during the use of the rocks as a space for the consumption of illict substances. While the space is public, people seem to feel protected from the legal repurcussions of partaking in illict substances. Large groups gather to use the space for this very purpose.
A photo of our group members. From left to right: Abby, Yair, Murphy