SIGHT
I grew up in a country and a city where religion is an integral part of culture, society and individuals. From the colossal Badshahi Mosque to the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh to the Lahore Gate Church, religious monuments of all sizes, sects and religions can be seen throughout the city. Religion often gets a bad rep around this part of the world but for the locals, religion acts as a way of life to improve oneself but also as an important source of community, belonging and culture. The health benefits of religion have been documented as well. Religion hence acts as an anchor in ensuring a well functioning and healthy society.
Various Religious monuments in Lahore
Given this upbringing, it is no surprise then that during my first neighborhood walks around Carroll Park, I noticed a dense network of churches within a 5-6 block radius. What fascinated me was the various types of churches that occupied the same vicinity. . My walk started outside Carroll Park at the intersection of South Monroe Street and Washington Boulevard. I walked north towards Bayard street and as soon as I crossed the intersection of Bayard street and Washington Boulevard, I was greeted with a store front church which, despite living in the US for 3 years, I had never seen. Just a couple of blocks West on James Street was a church out of a house that I had to double check with Google Maps to make sure it wasn't just someone's house. Across the Washington Boulevard, there were three more churches, two traditional and one store front, and two more on Carroll Street.
Churches around Carroll Park
Churches can be important anchors in communities, providing providing services, counseling and advice to those in need. Particularly, in under-resourced and marginalized communities, this role becomes even more important and powerful. During the October 18th CityLab event, Paulo Gregory Harris, Social Entrepreneur and Black Business ecosystem builder, talked about the tendency of under-resourced communities to behave collectively even in an individual culture. The role of churches in under-resourced and black communities has historically included not only spiritual development but also protection and advocacy for vulnerable families and communities; provision of family and community; and provision of economic resources and social networking when needed. They also have served an important leadership role to families and communities, offering child-rearing support and extended family kinship support. Oftentimes the church has assisted in family and community conflict resolution; elderly assistance; and mentoring of black males and females and youth.
Despite the importance of religion as an important factor in well-being, it is rare to see health interventions that incorporate religiosity. What's even more disappointing is that despite the important role of churches and as a result religious leaders, they are left out of many important community conversations. It certainly appeared to be an issue during my exploration of the Carroll Park mansion renovation project as well as engagement with Friends of Carroll Park, a community of Carroll Park stakeholders. Both of whom lacked the presence of a religious leader.