Gentrification of Columbia Heights
As I was riding through the streets of DC the other night, I could not help but be struck by the number of whites I see walking the streets at night in places like Columbia Heights that were once nearly all black.
A couple of videos on Columbia Heights which is a neighborhood in DC
Gentrification is a major issue facing the Africian American community in just about every city.In Seattle,and SanDiegojust about all the Africian Americans have dissappeared in the last 10years.In the East coast cities and on the outskirts we are being forced out due to high scale apartments and condomimuns.Mega retail stores are brought in replacing the older run bussinesses.As you see once happening in Harlem,Ny on 125thSt.There are organzatoins like the Harlem tentants association led by sister Nelie Bailey putting up a valiant fight to stop further incursions into more areas.In Westchester County right outside of the city of NewYork on the Husdon River populations of working class and poor people are being displaced. These areas are are prime real estate for developers.There are activists and others fighting but not enough.Unfortunely many of our Black elected have helped in the sell out of there ot there constituency.This is denfintenly one of most glaring issues facing black america all across this nation.
I hate this word, “Gentrification”. Twenty years ago I wanted to move to one neighborhood in D.C. and was chased out by the neighbors – were they afraid the landlord would raise the rent? No one would ever stop a black person moving into a white neighborhood anymore. Why should a white person be stopped from moving into a black neighborhood?
Its sad but the fact still remians that landlords and developers charge more when whites move in and less when blacksw move in. They give better service when whites move in and blacks have to beg for decent service. SO yes, it can be a very big concern if you’re on a fixed budget and a white person moves into the neighborhood or you’re afraid your equity will decline when non whites move into your neighborhood. No one calls the HOA’s, developers, banks, and landlords for criminal double standards they practice and thus this will never change.
Just 10 months ago i lived on Columbia Rd. We constantly stayed begging city council to stop renewing liqour store licenses and bring back trade skill classes to the area highschools, so that these young men could compete in the work force and perhaps get a job in construction. We begged for increase police presence for years and nothing happened. Now, the whites have moved in becuase its more affordable and the traffic is getting worst, thus people are sick of spending 1-2 hours each way to work just to avoid living by black people.
My rent in 5 years when for 670.00 to 1750.00 for a 2 bedroom apt. Let me tell you I didn’t get any increased services with this increase rent either. The police respond much quicker now and the liqour stores are having major problems with all the new development around them. It’s interesting how things didn’t change despite all the letter campaigns, protest, and lowly begging community members did until the whites moved in. It’s not a white or black thing.. i think the system is just generally messed up and things just get down faster when you have more whites move into the neighborhood but with that rent, and home prices will double or tripple.
I now live all the way in new mexico just so I would finally get the house i deserve and a decent school system for my kids that we could afford.