Urban Renewal Impact The Movie
OFFICIAL TRAILER
2026 Schedule
September 14- St. James Episcopal Church
424 W State Street
Black Mountain, NC 28711
5:30PM – 8:00PM
Admission (FREE)
Urban Renewal Impact — Film Screening
Experience the Untold Story of Asheville’s Urban Renewal
As part of the summer film series, Urban Renewal Impact will be presented—a powerful and emotional documentary and Part II of Black In Asheville.
The film explores the devastating impact of urban renewal in Asheville, North Carolina, where more than 1,000 Black families were displaced from their homes and communities. While urban renewal was a national program, Asheville’s project became one of the most consequential chapters in the city’s history.
Urban Renewal Impact brings this history to life through the voices, stories, and experiences of those who lived through it. Riveting, thought-provoking, and deeply moving, the film challenges us to confront the past, understand its lasting impact, and consider what we can learn from it.
Because history matters. And remembering it may help ensure it never happens again.
Join us for this powerful film experience.
Documentary film screening followed by a discussion and Q&A with filmmaker Todd Gragg and community historian Priscilla Robinson.
September 10 - Land Of Sky Association Of Realtors
21 Restaurant Ct
Asheville, NC 28805
11:30 AM First Screening
5:30 PM Second Screening
Admission (FREE)
Urban Renewal Impact — Film Screening
Discover the History That Changed Asheville
The Land of Sky Association of REALTORS® is proud to sponsor two special screenings of Urban Renewal Impact, a powerful documentary exploring one of the most consequential chapters in Asheville’s housing and community history.
Part II of Black In Asheville, Urban Renewal Impact examines the devastating impact of urban renewal in Asheville, where more than 1,000 Black families were displaced from their homes and communities.
While urban renewal was a national program, its impact in Asheville was profound—transforming neighborhoods, displacing families, and reshaping the city’s landscape for generations to come.
Through firsthand accounts, historical research, and the voices of those who experienced it, Urban Renewal Impact brings this largely untold history to life.
For those connected to real estate, housing, development, and Asheville’s neighborhoods, understanding this history provides important context for the city we know today—and raises meaningful questions about how decisions involving land, housing, and communities can shape Asheville for generations.
Two Screenings
11:30 AM
5:30 PM
Join the Land of Sky Association of REALTORS® for this important film experience and an opportunity to learn, reflect, and engage in a conversation about Asheville’s past and its continuing impact on our community.
Because history matters. And remembering it may help ensure it never happens again.
Presented by Youth Filmmakers Initiative
Sponsored by the Land of Sky Association of REALTORS®
Documentary film screening followed by a discussion and Q&A with filmmaker Todd Gragg and community historian Priscilla Robinson.
February 27- Pack Library (America 250 Symposium)
67 Haywood Street
Asheville, NC 28801
1:00PM – 3:00PM
Admission (FREE)
Buncombe County Special Collections & North Carolina Historic Sites present a day filled with programs that delve into the fundamental ideals of democracy and explore the diversity of voices that have shaped our nation.
How can change be a powerful force for progress?
How can we work together to create a more just and equitable society?
Part II of the “Black in Asheville” film series. Documentary film screening followed by a discussion and Q&A with filmmaker Todd Gragg and community historian Priscilla Robinson.
February 21- Asheville Community Theatre
Asheville, NC 28801
7:00PM – 9:00PM
Admission (FREE)
The upcoming screening of Urban Renewal Impact at Asheville Community Theatre is a significant moment for the city. As one of Asheville’s most historic and respected cultural institutions, ACT has long served as a space where powerful stories are shared and community conversations take shape. Presenting this documentary on its stage helps connect Asheville’s arts community with one of the most transformative and challenging chapters in the city’s history.
This screening invites audiences from all backgrounds to engage with the story of Urban Renewal—its impact, its consequences, and its lasting imprint on the lives of countless residents. It creates space to confront difficult truths, honor the voices that lived through these changes, and encourage dialogue about what it means for Asheville today.
Hosting Urban Renewal Impact at Asheville Community Theatre is more than a film event—it is an invitation to witness, reflect, and participate. It affirms the role of the arts in truth-telling, community healing, and shaping a more connected and informed future for Asheville.
2025 Schedule
October 18 - YMI Cultural Center
Asheville, NC 28801
7:00PM – 9:00PM
Admission (FREE)
The premiere of Urban Renewal Impact at the YMI Cultural Center in Asheville is more than just a film screening—it’s a powerful full-circle moment. Historically, the YMI stood at the heart of Asheville’s Black community, a hub for culture, business, and connection. Decades later, after Urban Renewal dismantled much of that very community, the YMI once again becomes a gathering place to confront that history and spark dialogue. Hosting this film here is both a tribute to the past and a bold statement about reclaiming space, telling the truth, and honoring the resilience of the community.
Behind The Scenes
Film Synopsis
“Urban Renewal Impact” The Movie
In 2023, filmmaker Todd Gragg produced Black in Asheville, a documentary exploring the rich yet often overlooked history of Asheville’s Black community. During the project, he collaborated with Priscilla Robinson, a dedicated researcher with over 15 years of experience investigating the deep wounds left by urban renewal. Their shared discovery made one thing clear: urban renewal was not just an isolated policy—it was a defining, destructive force that reshaped Asheville and countless Black communities across America.
Urban Renewal Impact takes a hard look at Asheville’s past through the lens of those who lived it. This film traces how city leaders, long focused on cultivating Asheville as a white-led tourism destination, excluded Black residents from their plans. From convict leasing that forced Black men to build the city’s foundation to federally funded projects that razed entire Black neighborhoods, Urban Renewal Impact reveals a truth rarely acknowledged: progress for some came at the expense of others.
Far from offering neat conclusions, the film opens space for reflection, raising critical questions about justice, memory, and responsibility. It confronts the loss of homes, businesses, and generational wealth, and considers how the legacy of displacement continues to shape the lives of Black Ashevillians today.
Urban Renewal Impact is not just a local story—it is part of a national reckoning with policies that devastated Black communities in the name of progress. Through powerful visuals, community voices, and historical insight, this film challenges us to remember, to reckon, and to act.
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