There’s an energetic buzz during the opening introductions of the conference. At the Claiming Space in the Changing City panel, the audience was introduced to Kibibi Monie, Ixtlixochitl Salinas-Whitehawk, Julie C, and Ana Cano aka Black Mama. In a rapidly changing city like Seattle, this panel gives a space for underrepresented voices to discuss how to ensure their voices are heard, and that they have a say in the way their communities are changing. When wealthy investors are often the driving force behind the ways the city and its communities are changing, these voices are especially important. Something I felt was important was the way these women showed the power of the arts in the process of political commentary, and the way it empowers conmunties to own what is theirs. Ultimately, the culture of this city, and many others, were built on the communities that lived there, and reclaiming these marginalized voices and communities empowers them to fight against being pushed and priced out of their homes.