Constructing Community

African American brothers, Hodges and Rogers Glenn taught art in Frenchtown, in Tallahassee, Florida during the tumultuous 50s and 60s. In spite of its marginalization, the community of Frenchtown was a thriving self-sustaining mecca for African American culture. The Glenn brothers were an integral part of the vitality of this community. The purpose of this study was to situate their works within a community based art education framework and explore their roles in community construction. In defining community construction, three theoretical perspectives emerged: Dewey's (1900) ideas of social progress, Selznick's (1992) elements of community construction (historicity, identity, mutuality, plurality, autonomy, participation, and integration), and McMillan's (1996; 2011) argument that a sense of community can be framed as art. The historical methodology entailed primarily gathering a number of interviews with those who knew the Glenn Brothers and the community supplemented by secondary sources mostly from local archives. The data were evaluated in relation to the theoretical foundations described above and in light of the theory of social interactionism. The findings were drawn from an historical narrative centered primarily on the Glenn brothers' ten years of teaching art at two rival African American high schools. Analysis of the data showed evidence of the presence of each of Selznick's (1992) elements of community construction and a preponderance of evidence that the Glenn brothers greatly contributed to this community. For example, the infusion of signage and artwork in and on the buildings contributed to the community's identity, their many professions strengthened its plurality, and mentoring students before and after school showed their commitment to ready their students for community improvement and equip them with the autonomy to fend for themselves. This giving back to the community seemed to drive the Glenn brothers in their teaching philosophies. Also, emerging themes of mentorship and art connections showed that the Glenn brothers were influential not only in the classroom, but throughout the community. As father figures, they gave direction and exemplary leadership while the city, state, and nation were experiencing unrest and transition. Their low key but high energy commitment and calm consistency served as proof that alternatives for social change, other than confrontations and protests, do exist. Members of the community described a sense of community that became art when they framed it with comments like "Frenchtown was a decent place" (M. Rush, personal communication, April 4, 2007) and "it was like heaven" (P. Houzell, personal communication, June 5, 2013). Social Interaction between the Glenn brothers and others in the community brought about meaning in their environment. This meaning extended even to the present the author, too, discovered connections to the Glenn brothers.