Gettin’ Grown, “Vacant Spaces” (Feat. Kat Guillaume-Delemar)

Podcast: Gettin’ Grown (Loud Speakers Network)
Episode Title: Vacant Spaces
Guests: Kat Guillaume-Delemar, President & CEO, Center for Community Progress
Release Date: March 31, 2026

Episode Overview

This week, Keia and Jade dig into the intersection of community, policy, and self-growth with guest Kat Guillaume-Delemar, a Brooklyn-born, Haitian-descended leader in community revitalization and anti-vacancy advocacy. The conversation centers on the human story behind vacant spaces, the exploitation of Black lands and communities, and how history, activism, and personal experience fuel transformative change. The episode is rich with emotion, laughter, and sharp cultural commentary, interweaving personal vulnerability and practical knowledge for listeners trying to thrive and uplift their communities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Music Nostalgia & Black Millennial Memories

[01:40 – 14:43]

• Jade opens with a tribute to Michael Jackson’s “Liberian Girl” and its influence, referencing generational gaps on TikTok’s use of classic tracks.
• The hosts evoke late-80s and 90s hip-hop nostalgia, connecting those eras to their coming-of-age stories as Black women and discussing upcoming Jay-Z concerts (with attendant ticketing drama: “I was in a queue with 891,000 people in front of me!” – Keia, [07:03]).
• The segment orients listeners in the show’s signature blend of humor, longing, and Black cultural pride.
• Notable Quote:
  Jade [13:04]: “...my memory is fleeting, many times, but I have clear, colorful memories... the seas, the smells—can’t you? Memories of living off the 4 train in the Bronx during motherfucking baseball season... one of the worst points of transportation in life!”

2. Navigating Current Events with Black Women’s Perspective

[14:14 – 21:09]

• Jade brings attention to issues of misinformation, under-reporting of critical world events (Sudan, Gaza, Congo), and pervasive ICE surveillance.
• The segment emphasizes the need for continual vigilance, self-education, and community care amidst relentless global and local crises.
• Notable Quote:
  Jade [18:57]: “...if you are traveling, they are in the motherfucking airports... you niggas with those motherfucking vests on... may you see the motherfucking day.”

3. Black Womanhood, Health, and Survival

[21:31 – 28:06]

• Jade recounts her harrowing bout with norovirus, highlighting the vulnerability of health, the necessity of self-care, and the everyday heroism of Black women surviving routine adversity.
• The narrative underscores the importance of rest, cleanliness (handwashing PSA!), and familial support.

Kitchen Table Talk: “Vacant Spaces” with Kat Guillaume-Delemar

[30:40 – 94:42]

Introducing Kat & Her Legacy

• Kat introduces herself not just by her professional titles, but as a “compassionate revolutionary, child of God, daughter of Haitian immigrants, and Brooklyn American.” ([33:35])
• Her story is profoundly shaped by her matrilineage—particularly her great-grandmother, Marie Noel Jeannette, a labor organizer, rebel, and national figure in Haiti.
  • Memorable Moment: Kat’s assertion:
    [34:11] – “...I am currently living a life I didn’t even know I could possibly dream for myself... I am her representation still living in the physical.”

Lived Experience as Foundation for Activism

• Kat details cycles of generational trauma and resilience—her great-grandmother’s activism, her mother’s migration and struggles, her own experience surviving abuse and poverty.
• She illuminates why she honors sex work, survival, and bodily autonomy in Black womanhood, linking it to land, agency, and inherited strength.
  • Notable Quote:
    Kat [48:46]: “I look at land the way I look at the bodies I just discussed... this land has been raped and violated, and this land... is still beautiful.”

Vacant Spaces as Sites of Trauma & Transformation

• Kat discusses growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn, surrounded by vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and the traumas of poverty and violence.
• Childhood experiences—community organizing to reclaim lots, transforming a “trauma site” into a vibrant park—shaped her entire approach to community work.
  • Notable Quote:
    Kat [57:03]: “...my neighbors weren’t politicians or rich people; they just had enough... chased the drug dealers out, cleaned the trash, and turned a vacant lot into a park.”

Systems, Policy, and Power

• Kat breaks down the systemic roots of property vacancy: red tape, restrictive zoning, punitive taxes, and code enforcement directed disproportionately at poor Black and immigrant communities.
• She critiques protest without policy change:
  • [62:44] – “If all you’re doing is protesting, it’s just unified complaints... until they change the policies, it’s going to be the same thing we’re protesting over and over again.”
• Practical explanation of “heirs property” and how Black families lose generational homes to policy loopholes, predatory investors, and tax foreclosures.
  • Jade [67:05]: “...the aggressive, predatory behavior of stealing deeds while elders are still in their homes is happening everywhere in NYC.”
  • Kat [71:37]: “...you have an elder who’s paid their home off and now, because of new housing nearby, their property tax skyrockets to four times what it was... it’s not equitable; it’s punitive.”

Community Progress: Solutions, Education, & Empowerment

• The Center for Community Progress focuses on:
  • Education of policymakers, residents, and practitioners.
  • Technical assistance for neighborhood organizations.
  • Developing strategic, community-driven solutions (e.g., land banks, creative placemaking).
  • Fighting policy, not people.
• Advice for Listeners:
  Kat [81:24]: “Dare to dream. Don’t see vacant land as just a problem—see its potential... be strategic—complaining isn’t enough, partnership alone isn’t enough. What are you going to do? What do you want?”
• Resources: The Center’s webinars, learning exchanges, and biennial “Reclaiming Vacant Properties” conference (next one: Pittsburgh, Sep 22–25, 2026).
  • Website: communityprogress.org
• On Ownership & Community:
  “It’s not just about home ownership. The folks who chased the dealers out didn’t own; they were renters. You are part of your community regardless.” ([97:29])

Highlights & Memorable Quotes

• Kat [36:41]: “It’s okay to be ratchet and righteous at the same time.”
• Kat [48:46]: “Land has been raped... but is still beautiful. My mother’s body is still beautiful.”
• Keia [80:11]: “Singular solutions can’t address systemic problems... transformative practice for systems change starts with a changed perspective.”
• Jade [86:20]: “You haven’t said a word about gentrification, and I appreciate that—it reframes the conversation beyond the obvious and towards actual solutions.”
• Kat [89:26]: “Just because that fixture’s been raped doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful.”

Practical Takeaways & Calls to Action

• See vacant land as full of possibility and power, not just blight.
• Educate yourself on local policies that drive vacancy (tax codes, zoning, code enforcement).
• Advocate for strategic policy change, not just protest—action must follow indignation.
• Partner with community members, but make partnerships strategic, purposeful, and aligned toward change.
• Find resources through communityprogress.org – webinars, guides, and leadership programs for all.

Additional Segments

Lessons in Self-Care & Food

[101:11 – 116:39]

• Keia shares the joy of “tuna mac” and cultural food musings. The hosts uplift Black women reinventing soul food online.
• Jade discusses listening to her body, calling out of work, and the importance of rest:
  • Jade [112:11]: “Sometimes you have to call out of work for yourself.”
  • Both emphasize honoring your limits and giving yourself permission to rest.

Petty Peeves Parade

[116:43 – 126:46]

• Jade’s: Public yawning without covering your mouth (“Cover your mouth, Grandma, Uncle, Auntie!”)
• Keia’s: Early-morning door-knockers and workplace interactions lacking basic social skills (“Why are you talking to me? To whom are you speaking?”)
• Hilarious riffs on generational service habits and the chaos of name spelling in public spaces.

Closing Reflections

• Kat encourages listeners to support Black women, emphasize the beauty in struggle, and move beyond complaint to strategic action.
  • Kat [95:05]: “We who are fighting the good fight don’t get enough avenues to speak and support each other... thank you for creating this space.”
• Keia and Jade mark nine years of Gettin’ Grown, reaffirming the show’s mission to uplift, inform, and build community.

Find Kat Guillaume-Delemar & Resources

• Website: communityprogress.org
• LinkedIn: Kat J. Guillaume-Delemar
• Conference: Reclaiming Vacant Properties, Pittsburgh, Sep 22–25, 2026
• Email: kguilaume@communityprogress.org (see episode for spelling)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [30:40] – Kitchen Table Talk: Kat’s Introduction
• [33:35] – Kat on Identity & Faith
• [37:24] – Kat’s Family Legacy
• [48:46] – Land and Black Women’s Bodies
• [57:03] – Community Reclaiming Vacant Spaces in Brooklyn
• [62:43] – Systems, Protest, and Policy
• [67:05] – Predatory Deed Theft & Policy
• [74:59] – Solutions: Center for Community Progress Programs
• [81:24] – Advice for Listeners: “Dare to Dream...”
• [86:20] – Why This Isn’t Just About Gentrification

Stay safe, moisturize your mind, drink water, and mind your business—per usual. Support each other, honor your ancestors, and see beauty and potential in spaces that others have written off.