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Gentrification Moving East of the River

By Liane Scott, on February 8th, 2011

Integrated Classroom at Anacostia High, 1957

Gentrification has a tendency to spread and as it spreads, communities turn over. Examples of racial and economic integration, which we all hope will be the result of urban development, are truly hard to find. In the 1940s & ’50s Anacostia was white and believe it or not, Georgetown was black. While it may be unlikely that Georgetown will ever be affordable enough to sustain a majority black population again, Anacostia may revert to it’s previous status. For much of the last decade many long-term residents of DC (black, white and Latino) who at one time lived in Northwest have sought more affordable homes east of the river. With the recession still in full force in Wards 7 & 8, a considerable number are heading even farther east, across the border into Maryland. Who will remain?

One black-owned DC business that will not be relocating to Ward 9 (Prince George’s County) is Stewart’s Funeral Home. In an exploration of gentrification and those who are able to survive it, Brenda Hayes and Be Steadwell produced the following audio report: A_Home_Away_From_Home. It’s clear that Stewart’s Funeral Home is part of a legacy within DC’s black communities of taking care of their own that stretches from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement. But will that tradition last now that the black majority of the District of Columbia is dwindling and will soon cease to exist?

Video producers Judith Hawkins and Valencia Rutledge of Valencia’s It Is What It Is Mobile Talk Show make the case that it is not only African-American business owners who have been established for decades that will survive. The tradition of fulfilling the needs of the community within the community remains, despite the neglect that accompanied the flight of the middle class after integration. Their report on gentrification features a businessman who sells his wares on the street. No, he doesn’t deal drugs, but if you can’t afford a brick and mortar store, then pounding the pavement and taking the product directly to the consumer is one way to go. It may not make him rich, but it will keep him in his Ward 8 home.

The stories featured in this post show the kind of tenacity that’s necessary if native Washingtonians or immigrants from other parts of the country or other parts of the world are to strengthen their roots here and survive gentrification. To rebuild a sense of financial security among the middle class, working class and even low-income residents of DC, we must push for real economic opportunities that extend not only to for-profit developers but also to residents whose investments in the community represents more than just the all mighty dollar but the true wealth of the District of Columbia.

One comment - (Comments are closed)   Communities, Gentrification   , , , , , ,  

Surviving Gentrification Along the U Street Corridor

By Liane Scott, on February 5th, 2011

14th and U Street NW before the Metro.

Gentrification is a funny thing. The developers who bought up all the property along the U Street Corridor staked their fortunes on being able to attract wealthy individuals looking for a central location to live and shop. They capitalized on the history along the corridor and named buildings and businesses after DC’s most famous African-Americans. Ironically, they attracted a whole slew of white folks who seem to think the cultural history of DC is cool, but the low-income and working class black folk who are alive and well today don’t always make the best neighbors. Thus, a neighborhood like Shaw, which was for decades a bastion of the black middle class, who came together to build a sense of stability within a deeply segregated city, remains stable only for those African-Americans who bought and paid for property before the housing bubble or those who are extremely well-heeled.

And so it was with the U Street Corridor. Only three U Street businesses between Georgia Avenue and 16th Street survived the riots of the 60s, the neglect of the 70s, the housing boom and the coming of the U Street/Cardozo Metro Station. Those three businesses are Lee’s Flower and Card Shop, the Industrial Bank of Washington and Ben’s Chili Bowl. How they survived is chronicled in the audio podcast 192 Years of Black B’ness on U Street produced by Brenda Hayes and Be Steadwell. The report makes it clear that although these business owners are thriving now, that was not always the case. For those of us attempting to withstand the harsh winds of gentrification, it is a history well worth remembering.

Comments are closed   Communities, Gentrification, Small Business   , , , , , , , ,  

Giving Thanks

By Liane Scott, on November 23rd, 2010

On any given day in the District of Columbia, 12,000 children, families, and individuals are homeless and or in need of food; 82% of these families are headed by single women. As we approached the Thanksgiving holiday, reporter Brenda Hayes and producer Rebecca Steadwell sought out the city’s homeless as well as those who help to meet their needs and asked them one simple question. Are you thankful? Their report gives a candid glimpse into the day-to-day reality of the District’s neediest residents.

A Meal at the Community for Creative Non-Violence

Give Thanks MP3

Organizations highlighted in this piece include the Community for Creative Non-Violence and DC Central Kitchen who help to provide over 600,000 meals a year to DC residents. Although CCNV relies entirely on donations to fund its operations, DC Central Kitchen receives upwards of $50,000 a year from the District government. That may change as the DC Council decides how to fix a $175 million budget shortfall. But DC Central Kitchen and organizations like it don’t have to end up on the city budget chopping block.

Rather than more cuts, it is time for a balanced approach that includes progressive revenue. Right now DC’s top tax rate (8.5%) starts at $40,000 a year. City leaders should create a new tax bracket of 1% more for income over $200,000. The revenue raised can help preserve the programs we are thankful for. If you care about this issue, send an email to Chairman Gray and ask him to take a balanced approach and protect the programs you care about.

Comments are closed   Homelessness,   , , , , , , , , , ,  
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