Tuesday, November 21, 2017

10 Facts for White People Who Wanna Discuss Gentrification

1. Gentrification* is "the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper or middle-income families or individuals, raising property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses." By definition, the topic of gentrification is very likely to stir up racial and/or class conflicts.


2. Gentrification is not inevitable. It is not a force of nature, but a human act -- brought about by human agency.

3. Gentrification is a complex process with multiple players, many moving parts and those involved in the process will help it happen faster, slow it down, end it altogether or avoid addressing it at all.   

4. There is a possibility that low-income communities can survive the process of gentrification, albeit there is a collective strategy to preserve the community before that process begins.

5. The process of gentrification may yield more negative impacts than positive ones. We will let history and/or the communities most impacted be the judge.

6. We have to address the negative impacts of gentrification in substantial ways and work to mitigate them or historical communities of color will cease to exist in the Bay Area (and across the nation).

7. The impact that local governments, corporations and universities have in the process of gentrification cannot be understated.

8. We cannot have a conversation about gentrification without discussing the phenomenon that is white flight, the creation of the ghetto to begin with and the observation that when white people move into a neighborhood property values rise, automatically.  

9.  In a world where development is a reality, perhaps the ethical thing to do is place limits on the expansion of corporations such as Facebook and Amazon, and universities such as Stanford University.  This is one way to have development within reason or "development without displacement."

10.  If I have to explain the importance and value of preserving my community on a regular basis, there is a fundamental problem.  It won't be long before I have to explain the value of my culture and then after that, the value  of my very personhood.  This is not something I am willing to do.  Ever.  And the gentrification conversation is no exception. 


Ashe.



*Definition from www.dictionary.com 

#Gentrification #TechTakeover #EastPaloAlto #BayArea 

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