“…another gentrification scam that will push residents out of their homes and into worse situations.”
by By Shauntrice L. Martin
On the 700 block of South Hancock Street, in Louisville, Kentucky there are dozens of children breathing in hundreds of toxic chemicals each day. This is the center of the Sheppard Square Housing Projects in Smoketown. The neighborhood got its name because of kilns that produced heavy clouds of poison, not unlike any other low-income, African American neighborhood in the country. After slavery ended, newly freed African Americans moved to the area. Later generations ended up in a cesspool of poverty and environmental racism that continues today. The largest concentration of residents in Smoketown includes the Sheppard Square Housing projects, where Muhammad Ali trained. This low income project has over 320 units (170 1-bedroom units, 132 3-bedroom units, and 24 4-bedroom units) in a 3×4 block area.
The exclusion of an entire people has been the unspoken law in Smoketown. Much like the thousands of areas nationwide, it will soon be gentrified out of existence. Residents had little to no input in the matter. Their voices went unheard as politicians worked to make space for a more privileged group of potential residents. Dr. Beverly Wright, in her article “Race, Politics, and Pollution”, wrote that “Environmental racism in the US is spawned from a history of human slavery and is a by-product of racial segregation and discrimination legitimated in the southern US…” The reality of her words is evident in Smoketown. These words have been manifested in the example above. The disenfranchisement faced my African Americans stems largely from the Jim Crow Era that have yet to be reconciled. If this is difficult to accept as fact, look to past Hope VI initiatives in Louisville.
Contrary to the propaganda messages pushed by media, there are no examples of these so-called revitalization efforts in Louisville ever moving back a significant portion of residents. When the Park DuValle Neighborhood was gentrified, residents were moved away from their homes and promised a safe place while the community was rebuilt. Instead, the newly built homes were conservatively priced at $80,000 to $150,000 (the median housing cost for the area during that time was only about $75,000). This proves that there was no intention on bringing back these same residents who were making (on average) only about $13,000 a year at the time (which was about $5,000 below the poverty line for a family of three). The Hope VI press team considers the displacement of over 60 percent of former residents a success. Hopefully, readers who are doing the math realize the situation is something other than a victory to be celebrated.
Similarly, after the Clarksdale neighborhood was gentrified, only about 10 percent of residents were able to move back into the area. The revitalization efforts were completed in 2009. Children make up 43 percent of the population in Louisville’s low-income housing.
The Hope VI project is another gentrification scam that will push residents out of their homes and into worse situations. Smoketown has always been a historic landmark. Over the years, its demographic makeup stayed consistent. A holistic solution would have been community based programming and support systems, rather than tearing down the neighborhood. If more children and young adults were given access to higher education, the community could have a chance for long-term sustainability. The $22 million allocated by Hope VI could provide 300 jobs. Each of these positions could make $60,000 over 3 years, giving families a real opportunity for long-term sustainability. This would substantially decrease unemployment in the city, and the remaining money could be geared towards higher education and job training. There would even be money left over to supplement existing food programs in the area. This is something to consider when looking at the Hope VI project. It is simply a large-scale scam and it is imperative that citizens really break down what is going on.
Shauntrice L. Martin is the director of the Justice Resource Center and long time youth advocate. Shauntrice has taught in Belize, Trinidad & Tobago, and the Dominican Republic. She is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and currently works with youth to sustain social justice movements in the District and beyond.
Ok well heres the thing about gentrification. There are a lot of residents who actually think its a great idea. You have older couples who have been in the community all their lives and they are tired of the “thugs” coming in and making it bad for everybody. Somthing has to be done and somebody has to do it. If the people in the actual neighbor hood will not stop, then you have no choice but to revitalize and change the scne. I mean, the same thing is going to keep happening and happening over and over. there’s really nothing that will or can be done about it, so whats the point??????
People need to stop ranting and raving.
I believe this article needs to be shared nationwide, because this issue of gentrification is not just present in Kentucky–it is a burden in the inner-cities all across the United States.
The residents who believe gentrification is a good idea can be placed into two groups: a)those who believe they will actually be able to return after the neighborhood is revitalized, and b) those who can actually afford to move else where who have no problem with packing their families up and leaving.
There is always something that can be done about injustice, the first step, which the writer of this article has just done is by educating others through talking about it–which should be commended.
I haven’t even reached 25 years of age, yet some of my childhood memories are limited to pure memories, those neighborhoods I was raised in do not exist anymore.
To Joshua, have you ever considered why there are some people who make it “bad for everybody”? Like their own living circumstances that puts them in a bad place physically, mentally, and emotionally? Martin hit the donkey on the head when she said “A holistic solution would have been community based programming and support systems, rather than tearing down the neighborhood.”
And when you ask what’s the point–the point is people like me, people like Martin, we are the point. We are the ones targeted like wild animals, we are the ones having to pack up and move, we are the ones effected each time decisions like these are made and we don’t have a say. Do you get the point yet?
wow. powerful piece. i dont experience with gentrification personally. at least, not in a negative way. i moved to dc last year and was told this year that where i live in columbia heights used to be a completely different neighborhood. i want to say i care about the people who used to live here, but did they put up a fight? where are they now? i would like to know the answers, but at the same time, gentrification has been a blessing for me. (if thats what happened in my area of town) and i admit that is selish…there is a thin line between justice and self-preservation at the end of the day, i suppose.
the article was well written and it does make me think.
A pslaeingly rational answer. Good to hear from you.
Even though the author gives a solution, I think it is a bit of a cop out. The true solution for any oppressed people is violent revolution. Otherwise, the same things will keep repeating. that is why occupy wall street and its occupying cousins will never create any change on the larger scale.
that is all.
Nice article Shauntrice. I didn’t know you were into voxunion.com, which I helped to create a long time ago.
I worked as a community organizer in Baltimore in the Middle East neighborhood (and believe me, that’s exactly what it looked like, the Middle East post US military). The neighborhood was under immanent domain, so the residents had to move because the neighborhood had been declared depressed. Though Johns Hopkins and the City sat on the empty homes for decades so they could accomplish exactly that feat. Anyways, I worked for Save Middle East Action Committee, which was composed of a board of residents. So my boss was the community being relocated.
Unfortunately, renters, people on section 8, basically, anyone who is not a homeowner is not entitled to anything when their neighborhood is being torn down. So that is why they don’t look for the community’s input when neighborhoods are being tore down. They don’t have to. &*$ked up as it is, that’s the way they have crafted the law, so poor people do not have a voice in their fate.
I went from door to door, knocking and talking to each and every resident. Carlos, we are about as far away from a violent revolution, that can actually be successful, as we are from the death of the power elite. Frankly, Carlos, a violent revolution would get squashed quick. Read America Lockdown by Michael Parenti. That book outlines how the police were militarized in 70s because they were getting their hineys kicked in the streets. SWAT and DEA are products of the police being beaten in the 70s. The PATRIOT Act is an extension of this suppression, which only less than 3% of its cases has been used towards terrorists. Most of its clauses have been used towards yours truly, poor people of color. So they are already prepared to squash any such movement. So what’s the answer you say? Build our own communities. The message has never changed since Garvey: own our own stores, means of production, food production, etc. Its not enough to be an idealist.
To Josh’s comment, door knocking in Baltimore and getting to know each and every resident taught me there is no consensus in our neighborhoods. Some people think it should be tore down, but they should be compensated fairly. Some people just want to be left alone, some people think drugs and crime is the problem, some people think drugs and crime is fine, some people just simply want the rats and trash taken care of. Honestly, I do not mind seeing the neighborhoods tore down. The infrastructure is poor, people are faced with several environmentally racist issues, and the list goes on. So, tear the projects down, and move the same people back into new, better built, greener homes. The people didn’t tear up the hood, the hood is a tore up place.
And we do have to address our own in the streets. Black on Black crime over a jacket is a damn shame. We should not be that brainwashed to kill each other over material objects, or for any other reason. That anger needs to be channeled in the right direction.
So…basically marc you have given up. have you ever read wretched of the earth? have you been occupying whatever city you’re in? plus when was this alleged door knocking and how does it relate to whether a violent revolution will work? you sound like those slaves that said uprising would never work…hmm.
i know the history of the DEA and the FBI in relation to COINTELPRO…I also know about Batista and Che and Castro. Violent revolution can and DOES work. Just because the powers that be will try to squash it doesnt mean we shouldnt do it. There are more of “us” than there are of “them”. Maybe you are just settling for whatever bland life you have instead of stepping up to the challenge of maing change. Change that we desperately need! Change that has to be taken thru FORCE! it will not come easily and unlike the Lord, you cant just KNOCK FOR THE DOOR TO BE OPENED. Get real. No offense the writer of the article, but he is wrong! The government will NEVER use their money to help any impoverished community. The point of government is to keep the people down! Dont be fooled and dont be a fool.
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ONLY VIOLENT REVOLUTION WILL EVER BE THE SOLUTION!
Carlos, obviously you didn’t read my response. The solution is for us to have our own. Own our own businesses, control our own means of production, buy land, grow our own food. Wherever this takes place, we can have a defense system in place. But I think you are out of touch with the reality of how many people “we” have on our side. As radical leftists, we are the minority. Most Americans are not worried about revolution. They are concerned with the American “dream” and gratification. The people in this country are materialistic and thoroughly pacified, and that’s what they want. I believe in what Bob Marley said, “Total destruction is the only solution” at this point. So I would rather have my own fortress when it all comes down, most likely from some external force and not within.
You can’t compare Cuba to America. I know this because my grandfather was in Cuba when Batista was in power. Batista’s soldiers took over his bar, stole his money, and ran him off the island because of his politics, but they said they ran him off because he was illegal (he was originally from Grenada). My grandfather would tell my uncles this is a totally different climate in this country, when I would sprout to my uncles my idealistic takeover of America when I would quote people like Che. Batista’s government was small and weak. Remember, Che was taken down with help from the CIA.
So, Carlos, just consider taking power into our own hands. Do you really think that John and Mary in there happy suburban home want one of us to be their government? They would revolt against us for their capitalistic lifestyles. I am a farmer and educator. So I don’t talk about it, I am teaching people how to grow their own food. I just moved to Alabama, and am beginning to create relationships with farmers on the Black belt, and I used to be an organic farmer. So its not that I have given up, rather, I am trying to create my own systems of empowerment, rather than waiting for a dream to come true.
Don’t get me wrong brotha, a revolution is what is needed. As astray as this country has gone, its gotta go. But what do we do in the mean time? How do we prepare for it? Taking power over our own systems, as Garvey and Malcolm preached, is revolutionary.
Peace
Sorry, I just realized I mis-spelled your name Mark.
Peace & Blessings,
I am on my way to a meeting, but just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the in-depth dialogue. I do want to get some focus back on Smoketown specifically. That’s where I grew up and I want people’s attention on the fact that historic landmarks are being destroyed for the sake of “progress” Just something to think about.
I will be returning soon with individual responses!
Shauntrice,
You are right, this article is about Smoketown and the unfortunate predicament it finds itself in. As I said before, legally, the laws are set up for poor people to have no rights. So folk that live in projects do not have any legal rights because they are receiving government assistance, and renters do not own. The system is set up for owners, that’s why I preach owning our own means of production.
As Magda stated, and as I know you know Shantrice, this is happening all over the country. The people in Smoketown, like in many parts of DC, will be dispersed around the city and to neighboring counties. Unless the law changes or something is done about it, some kind of mass protest by the residents of Smoketown (Occupy the Hood!) they will simply be removed by those in power and that will be the end.
Shauntrice, I know your heart and dedication towards our people is solid and strong. Do you think Occupy the Hood could be organized there?
Mark
Ok…I know its been a long time coming, but I think there is something folks can do. I sort of disagree and agree with everyone. I think it takes some serious organizing–that, or some serious rage to make a sustainable impact.
I think the legality should explored, because if someone breaking in your home gets hurt, they can sue you and win. So there has to be at least a little bit of justice out there left.
I can’t speak too deep on Occupy the Hood. What I can say, is that the Occupy DC “movement” I’ve been witnessing is a hot mess. The Occupy Virginia movement got shut down. The concept of Occupying the hood is relatively new to me, but I’m glad people are thinking and trying.
Honestly, violent revolution is probably the only solution. Pretty much everything else has been explored. Are we actually willing to rise up in arms? That is a different story. I know I am not trying to get killed. I don’t want my niece or any loved ones or innocent people to get gunned down for the cause, but maybe that means I’m not ready.
When it comes to Smoketown specifically, there are things we can do. REACT (a group that deals with environmental justice does some organizing work. We can boycott, petition, etc. This may not solve the nation’s problems, but I believe it can really change my hometown. We should be calling the decision makers and spreading the word. Let’s start a campaign to get at least 80% of residents back in the area. SOMETHING. I am so tired of the alternative.
Peace & Blessings.
This really is precisely what I used to be looking for, thank you