Prometheus 6 has highlighted a series of articles from The Sacramento Observer about the gentrification of urban Black neighborhoods. I haven’t read them all yet, but I certainly will do so. Gentrification is running wild here in Atlanta, and I have very mixed emotions about what I see going on in those neighborhoods. I love seeing the older neighborhoods get rejuvenated, but I worry about the displaced, older residents. As the first article points out, people are even upset over Magic Johnson’s effect on the mom & pop stores.
As an aside — I’m glad to see P6 has joined the Movable Type bandwagon. Finally P6 via RSS!
Thanks for posting this. As a long time resident of Harlem and Washington Heights (right next door), I’m finding my family getting priced out of the neighborhoods I grew up in, so this hits really close to home.
OMG, they’re SOOOO trying to do this in Oakland, CA (my “ancestral” home). Jerry Brown (Gov. Moonbeam) is trying to kick the black folks out and move the yuppie white folks in. Obviously it makes sense for the gov. of Oakland to increase tax revenue, etc., but the displaced blacks have to go SOMEWHERE.
A lot are moving to areas previously used for “white flights”. I grew up in Hayward, about 15 min. outside of Oakland, and when we first moved there, there weren’t many blacks around. Now they’re all around. And not respectable black folks either. Ghetto ass black folks that I don’t want hanging around my house.
But as far as I know, the property values aren’t being affected.