ABSTRACT
Henri Lefebvre saw rhythmanalysis as a pulse of the everyday, which stood in stark contrast to systems of power – such as that of a capitalist system. This chapter illustrates how the constantly narrated space of the ‘Bronx is burning’ days, when combined with the collective memories of the everyday social rhythms of the period just before the fires, nurtured the will of the communities to rebuild. The verbal economies that nurture the perception of the South Bronx are highly volatile and can be used in different ways by its diverse actors. When the Bronx started to rebuild, mostly the Catholic institutions such as Nehemiah Homes and Father Gigante’s group, the Southeast Bronx Community Organization, were building small houses and duplexes. The Cross-Bronx Expressway had also cut through the heart of the Bronx, disconnecting neighbourhoods and negatively impacting the social life of the areas.
