Gentrification

chosen essentially says "Hey, nothing was here before you. This place has no history, there was nothing of importance before YOU moved in." That's myopic, shallow, and simplistic”. The slogan is one that says it all. It ideal justification for gentrification, which is exactly is going on in…

alternatives provided by the state, the residents have been forced to sleep under bridges, canoes or squat in abandoned buildings. With the case of Otodo-Gbame, one can see how history is repeating itself where state-led “land-grab”, urban renewal, gentrification, development based actions, often under the cloak of trying to save the community from the ills of slums and informal settlements, lead to violently displaced communities. This narrative is influenced by the bigger story which is…

These factoids are just a few examples from the plethora of studies on gang injunctions and gentrification that can be used to stop these oppressive actions. Poor members of the community would become intellectually wealthy and dangerous during meetings with the police and community board members. Instead of pity, they would generate shock, edification, and fear—from those who capitalize on gentrification and gang-inunctions. Above all, these poor community members could make their environment…

The movie that I have watched was based off the Detroit Depression, which started with the Detroit riot in 1967, which was also known as the 12th street riot, which was a violent public disorder that turned into a civil disturbance in Detroit, Michigan. This left 43 dead, and thousands injured, and the city in flames. It has since then been the fastest sinking city in the United States, with the highest foreclosure rate. The movie also shows the collapse of the United States manufacturing base.…

Growing up outside of the United States, I always envisioned Los Angeles as the epitome of glamor, fame, and wealth. I believed that once one stepped foot in Beverly Hills, one would immediately attain those three aforementioned virtues. I think so many movies I watched about the city solidified that idea I had about Los Angeles before I moved here. Clueless was one of those movies. The film revolves around a rich girl named Cher, after the iconic singer, from Beverly Hills. Although the film…

If there is one category of food that the Southern black chef should excel it would be Southern or soul. However, the gentrification of food is now commonplace and ‘soul food’ is not exempt, “Collard greens were suddenly the “new kale,” according to a Whole Foods marketing ploy last year. Sweet potatoes, once an economical source of rich nutrients, have made their way into cupcakes, pancakes, and even quesadillas. A bevy of food bloggers has “discovered” sweet potato pie” (Taylor, 2015). The…

The United States has always been “home” to me because I feel that I have lived a bit of the quintessential American story. With immigrants for parents who was hoping for a better opportunity than what was offered from their home country. Moreover, my upbringing was a blend of my parent’s home culture and the new American culture combined with a United States education. As I have matured, I have noticed how much my life has been influenced by society’s opportunities and issues. The American…

collective of poets is Syster Cypher which takes place sporadically in Qilombo (Afrika town) a radical space established by young black and brown people: “(open its) doors and (provide) public space to all peoples during these times of intensive gentrification, system oppression and displacement, while also striving to empower those whose political economic voices have been marginalized.” This space hold poetry nights that focus on the work of oppressed minorities, women, queer, black and brown…

In the past the phrase, “inner cities” has been used for years being a very popular term in the 1960’s and 1970’s to describe the run down parts of major cities. These descriptions had many negative connotations and many times have different demographic stereotypes related to them. In the past week during the presidential debate Donald Trump made a comment on the danger of inner cities which sparked a conversation about how inner cities have become city and how the term in itself is dated. Two…

Fitzgerald (2014) describes residential segregation as urban areas that are disproportionally composed of people of color while suburban and rural areas are almost all white. Factors that contribute to the ongoing residential segregation in our society include socioeconomic status, prejudice of minority groups, and housing discrimination. Although the socioeconomic status of individuals is a factor that determines where these people will live, black homeowners are still less likely to live in…