South Asheville News

From February 22, 2023 post.

Brooklyn/Green Meadows Community

Though specific details of its origin are lost, Brooklyn (originally known as Brook Land) was established in the late 1860s by emancipated African-Americans looking for a place to call home after a lifetime of enslavement. Over the next century, the neighborhood grew into the local area’s cultural hub for people of color. A community that valued education, entrepreneurship, perseverance, and ingenuity, the people of Brooklyn were poor in social status but rich in heart. United by necessity, neighbors were generally considered members of an extended family, and resources were often communally shared.

At its height, Brooklyn spanned the area east of the railroad tracks from south of 7th Avenue to above Lincoln Circle and encompassed many homes, businesses, and places of worship. Tin Top Alley, a lodging area for migrant farm workers, also occupied a small section of Brooklyn. A variety of fruit trees could be found throughout the village, and livestock dotted the landscape along with the simple wood frame homes of its residents. Community businesses included juke joints, beauty and barbershops, restaurants, laundry services, and the taxi stand. Local churches and their leaders often served as a voice for the community in municipal affairs, especially during the civil rights era of the mid-20th century. One such church leader, Deacon “Uncle Henry” Johnson was even affectionately known as the “Mayor of Brooklyn” for his prominent role in community advocacy.

In the 1960s, the Village of Brooklyn became a victim of the urban renewal movement, and its residents were displaced during the development of the Green Meadows housing project. Few residents were able to purchase new homes occupying the land they previously rented, and the physical cohesion of the community was lost. The deep-rooted human connection of the community, however, remains embedded within the cultural memory of Hendersonville’s African-American citizens.

#BlackHistory #BlackHistoryMonth

Photo:                    Map courtesy of Blackhistories.org and drawn by Debbi Pridmore

Source can be found here.