The Structural Challenge of Power and Whiteness in Planning: Evidence From Historic Black Cemetery Restoration

Abstract

Historic Black cemeteries in the United States have been preserved and repaired by a range of philanthropic, community and government agencies. These efforts are fraught with disagreement over how to preserve sacred places. We consider the roles of white planners and organizations in Black spaces through a case examination of a cemetery restoration planning process. We engage questions of process and power to understand how outcomes-based approaches rationalize the reproduction of power relationships and the invisibility of whiteness. We find that limited engagement, inappropriate conceptual framing, and resistance to power sharing compromised the potential of Black power in Black spaces.