SPARCC

Commentarytitle_li=Displacementtitle_li=Equitytitle_li=Policytitle_li=Resilience

People, Power & Progress: Preserving Culture and Community in the Golden State

The Bay Area has long been lauded as a place of progress, diversity, and new ideas. From jazz to flower children, the Black Panther Party to the tech boom, the Bay Area remains on the cutting edge of progressiveness. The Bay Area has always been ahead of its time – pushing, pulling, and shifting the consciousness of the region and even the country like the giant tectonic plates it sits upon.

Commentarytitle_li=Displacementtitle_li=Equity

Crusaders For Justice: Continuing Denver’s Legacy of Civil Rights to Innovate and Empower

“La Alma” by Emanuel Martinez (1978). “La Alma” is one of the earliest remaining Chicano Murals. The mural commemorates the birthplace of Chicano Mural Movement in Colorado that began at La Alma Lincoln Park neighborhood by Emanuel Martinez with the support of the community. The mural represents the accomplishments of Indigenous and mestizo peoples past […]

Arts & Culturetitle_li=Commentarytitle_li=Equitytitle_li=Resilience

Welcome to Atlanta: Investing Time, Money, and Love in the New South

Atlanta is a city of the future with deep ties to the past. The red clay hills of Atlanta, Georgia hold within them weighted history. Despite its modern look of towering skyscrapers and state-of-the-art facilities, the shadows of slavery still loom large.

Commentarytitle_li=Equitytitle_li=Policy

Beyond the L.A. Lights: Connecting Communities Toward Common Goals in the City of Angels

Some argue that the development was good for homeowners who have seen their property value go up nearly 90 percent since the stadium began construction, but is this sustainable as more people in this historically Black and brown neighborhood are pushed out? More importantly, is having a state-the-art football field worth potentially ripping the soul out of a city that means so much to so many?

Capitaltitle_li=Commentary

Community Ownership Lessons from Nature: Ecosystems Ensure Sustainability

By James Yelen Just what exactly is “community ownership”? Depending on who you ask, the answer may differ, with some emphasizing how an asset or entity is controlled through decision-making and governance structures, others focusing on the proposed goal or benefit (such as permanent affordability), and still others interested in the degree to which community […]

Capitaltitle_li=Datatitle_li=Report

RESEARCH: Equitable Capital, Experiments in Building a Finance System for All

By Sean Campbell The current financial system rewards the well-resourced and fails most BIPOC and low-income Americans. It simultaneously throws billions of dollars at unprofitable Silicon Valley companies while making capital inaccessible for small businesses and Main Street entrepreneurs. It has also done nothing to close our shameful racial wealth gap–indeed, it has made it […]

Commentarytitle_li=Health

Community Voices and Decision-Making Central in SPARCC’s Health Equity Solutions

SPARCC was built on the foundation of bringing community autonomy to health, climate change, and racial equity. This approach is deliberate given the three are inextricably linked in shaping inclusive cities and successful outcomes.

Capitaltitle_li=Commentarytitle_li=Policy

The New, New, New, New Jim Crow: How Appraisals and Redevelopment Agreements Build on the Legacy of Government Sanctioned Racism

Even with the best intentions, disinvested communities–most especially communities of color–may be harmed by commonplace procedures established by institutions like banks and municipalities. Often, this is because these procedures are created to benefit institutions and not the communities that need assistance.

Capitaltitle_li=Commentary

Toolkits, Not Triage: How SPARCC Adapted Capital Practices to Support Community-Led Projects

By Devin Culbertson and Sondra Ford In 2019 the SPARCC initiative was making plans for a second phase, but capital deployment was slower than we had hoped for. More importantly, our local partners were frustrated by our inability to lend to projects in their communities—which was the initial promise of SPARCC: changing the way we […]