Holding History

This photograph was taken of a recent Italian immigrant family who were living in a slum along East Federal Street. Bill Lawson, a lecturer from the Mahoning Valley Historical Society mentioned: “They’re still smiling.” Youngstown has often been a destination for people seeking a better quality of life. How did we get to become who we are? What does it mean for us to hold history for those who came before us, and those who come after?