National Dialogue on Race Relations Lecture Notes/Thoughtful QuestionsSubheading: CommunityTitle: Harlem’s Continuing Gentrification and Intraracial Relations
Lee Bynum | The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation - Academia.edu
As the wave of gentrification continues to impact inner city communities across the country, it becomes increasingly important to understand how various social, economic, and political factors interplay and change the neighborhood as a result. The influx of middle and upper-middle class Black residents who reenter these communities has every bit the impact as the inflow of Whites. In many cases, they come to these neighborhoods that previous generations fled with the hope of returning the community to a prosperous and safe status; some of these well-off African-Americans view this as a racial uplift of sorts, as well as a reconnecting with their ethnic identities. With the arrival of affluent Blacks, longtime residents of Harlem are faced with the probability of displacement, changes in the community that do not take their needs into account, and unequal access to the benefits of gentrification. Oftentimes, this leads to intraracial strife.When the African-American gentry returns to these communities, the political actions and community improvements for which they advocate are primarily reflective of their own interests; they can even have a detrimental impact on the working classes. Unlike in disadvantaged communities where collective actions are the primary mechanisms for accomplishing political change, coalition-building is much more of a challenge in mixed income communities due to differences in shared resources, needs, and goals.The Black middle class has tripled since the 1960s; this increase has affected sociopolitical unity in Black America. Though there is a school of thought that contends that racism binds all Black Americans, irrespective of their socioeconomic and educational background, others argue that as the Black middle class grows, they become more detached from working class Blacks.During the 1990s, the number of middle and upper-middle class households in Harlem increased by thirty-five percent. The numbers of professionals, individuals with higher education, and homeowners all increased in those communities. Community boards in Harlem advocated developments out of the price range of longtime Harlemites, indicating that they supported driving up Harlem’s housing market, thereby displacing them. The concerns of the African-American middle class in both neighborhoods typically have not included maintaining a comfortable way of life for the poorest members of the community. As a result,intraracial animus can be observed emanating from both sides.
Some longtime residents see the middle class Blacks who promote development as bringing positive new opportunities to the community.Others label them as sell-outs. Because the African-American middle class is less secure than their White counterparts, they have to work much harder and act more stringently to protect their investment and social status. Class differences keep political unity fractured.As real estate rates continue to rise, the number of individuals who can afford to buy into the neighborhood has steadily decreased; even those recent transplants from as few as ten years ago might not be able to affordto move into Harlem now. A valid concern is that the direction of growth will make Harlem a place where only the upper
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middle and upper classes will be able to survive. Many stalwarts of the community who have been responsible for laying the foundation for gentrification (i.e. people who formed block associations to keep their community safe during the drug trade) are now being pushed out of their own neighborhoods –neighborhoods they worked so hard to save – due to rising prices.Considering Harlem’s future, a few broad, but relevant questions remain:What does gentrification look like? To whom does Harlem belong?Even if Harlem remains Black, will it remain Harlem? If some degree of gentrification is inevitable, what form should it take?
Lee Bynum | The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation - Academia.edu
As the wave of gentrification continues to impact inner city communities across the country, it becomes increasingly important to understand how various social, economic, and political factors interplay and change the neighborhood as a result. The influx of middle and upper-middle class Black residents who reenter these communities has every bit the impact as the inflow of Whites. In many cases, they come to these neighborhoods that previous generations fled with the hope of returning the community to a prosperous and safe status; some of these well-off African-Americans view this as a racial uplift of sorts, as well as a reconnecting with their ethnic identities. With the arrival of affluent Blacks, longtime residents of Harlem are faced with the probability of displacement, changes in the community that do not take their needs into account, and unequal access to the benefits of gentrification. Oftentimes, this leads to intraracial strife.When the African-American gentry returns to these communities, the political actions and community improvements for which they advocate are primarily reflective of their own interests; they can even have a detrimental impact on the working classes. Unlike in disadvantaged communities where collective actions are the primary mechanisms for accomplishing political change, coalition-building is much more of a challenge in mixed income communities due to differences in shared resources, needs, and goals.The Black middle class has tripled since the 1960s; this increase has affected sociopolitical unity in Black America. Though there is a school of thought that contends that racism binds all Black Americans, irrespective of their socioeconomic and educational background, others argue that as the Black middle class grows, they become more detached from working class Blacks.During the 1990s, the number of middle and upper-middle class households in Harlem increased by thirty-five percent. The numbers of professionals, individuals with higher education, and homeowners all increased in those communities. Community boards in Harlem advocated developments out of the price range of longtime Harlemites, indicating that they supported driving up Harlem’s housing market, thereby displacing them. The concerns of the African-American middle class in both neighborhoods typically have not included maintaining a comfortable way of life for the poorest members of the community. As a result,intraracial animus can be observed emanating from both sides.
Some longtime residents see the middle class Blacks who promote development as bringing positive new opportunities to the community.Others label them as sell-outs. Because the African-American middle class is less secure than their White counterparts, they have to work much harder and act more stringently to protect their investment and social status. Class differences keep political unity fractured.As real estate rates continue to rise, the number of individuals who can afford to buy into the neighborhood has steadily decreased; even those recent transplants from as few as ten years ago might not be able to affordto move into Harlem now. A valid concern is that the direction of growth will make Harlem a place where only the upper
-
middle and upper classes will be able to survive. Many stalwarts of the community who have been responsible for laying the foundation for gentrification (i.e. people who formed block associations to keep their community safe during the drug trade) are now being pushed out of their own neighborhoods –neighborhoods they worked so hard to save – due to rising prices.Considering Harlem’s future, a few broad, but relevant questions remain:What does gentrification look like? To whom does Harlem belong?Even if Harlem remains Black, will it remain Harlem? If some degree of gentrification is inevitable, what form should it take?