Samantha Dorm launched the groundbreaking Paved Over Prominence project to uncover York, New York’s buried Black history. Her innovative app reveals historical sites now hidden beneath parking lots.
Digital Innovation Resurrects Forgotten Black Heritage
Dorm partnered with Vision Solutions AR to develop an augmented reality experience. Users can explore York’s historic neighborhoods through their phones, discovering rich Black history.
“I personally didn’t know this history,” Dorm shares with the York Daily Record. Her research began in 2019 with Friends of Lebanon Cemetery.
The app brings to life stories of Black achievement during challenging times. Historical overlays transform mundane parking lots into vibrant community landmarks.
Historic Black Neighborhoods Vanish Under Concrete
Two key neighborhoods once thrived around North Duke, East Philadelphia streets, and West Princess Street. The Moravian Church area became York’s only playground for Black children.
The park hosted legendary boxing matches drawing hundreds of spectators. Johanna “Aunt Jo” Harris, founder of York’s first Black Girl Scouts chapter, led the park’s activities.
Sadly, 1938 budget cuts forced the park’s closure. Like many other Black landmarks, it disappeared beneath asphalt and concrete.
Questions of Intentional Erasure Surface
“Was it just dilapidated properties or a deliberate effort to pave over Black community sites?” Dorm asks. Her family’s deep roots in York drive her quest for answers.
The project’s name, “Paved Over Prominence,” highlights a disturbing pattern. Many significant Black historical sites now serve as parking lots.
Through technology, Dorm preserves these stories for future generations. Her work ensures York’s Black history won’t remain buried under pavement forever.
