What comes to mind when you hear “west Louisville?”

Do you picture the families who live there? People coming together for barbecues and neighborhood block parties. Kids playing in the park. Neighborhood churches. Or when you think of the West End, are you reminded of the last thing you heard about it on the news? A recent shooting. People living in poverty. Neighborhoods filled with abandoned houses.

The story of west Louisville is not a simple one. It’s not one that can be easily encapsulated in a sound bite. And it's a story that could be drastically changing soon.

But to understand the future, we have to look to the past. On episode one of Here Today, we explore the people and policies that created today's West End.

Here Today is produced and reported by Amina Elahi, Laura Ellis, Jonese Franklin, and Kyeland Jackson. Website and data reporting are by Alexandra Kanik.

You can support Here Today by making a donation here.