In the 1940s and 50s, the historically black Grahamtown community in Rutherford County was a bustling neighborhood. Today, nearly a third of all residential properties in Grahamtown are dilapidated, boarded up, or falling in. In 2014, several residents banded together to establish the Grahamtown Team (G-Team). The G-Team serves to support healthy living and responsible development in the community by providing programs and services such as exercise classes, a community garden, food pantry, computer lab, youth education and enrichment programs, and the Healthy Homes Community Revitalization Project. 

With funding from Dogwood to support the Healthy Homes Community Revitalization Project, the G-Team plans to acquire and revitalize untended properties and provide local families with opportunities to lease or purchase homes. This project will create newly safe and sustainable homes for the community while uplifting representation of Grahamtown’s history, culture, and heritage. Strategic investment in the revitalization of properties in low-income and historically BIPOC communities serves as a defense against gentrification, preventing displacement and increasing wealth within the community.