Hannah Chalew, American
Abundance Undermined, 2019
This image is of a work by Hannah Chalew, depicting the neighborhood of Gordon Plaza. Gordon Plaza was a neighborhood built in the late 1970s atop the Agriculture Street Landfill: a toxic waste dump that was in use for more than 50 years. It was marketed to future residents as a way for low income Black New Orleanians to become homeowners and as a place to realize the American Dream. The site’s history and toxicity was not
communicated to the residents. Almost immediately residents began suffering from deadly health issues such as elevated rates of cancer, lead poisoning, and respiratory diseases. The site’s removal from the National Priorities List and the spreading of toxins caused by Hurricane Katrina have made the situation worse. Today, residents continue to fight for relocation that is fair and fully funded. In this work we can see the juxtaposition between the promised ‘American Dream,’ in the form of a picturesque neighborhood, and the reality of the subterranean toxic waste. She has even incorporated found plastic from Gordon Plaza into the paper. Label by Savannah Singleton