Comments on: On Milloy, Gentrification and Getting “Over” things http://dcentric.wamu.org/2010/09/on-milloy-gentrification-and-getting-over-things/ Race, Class, The District. Mon, 16 Jul 2012 03:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Anonymous http://dcentric.wamu.org/2010/09/on-milloy-gentrification-and-getting-over-things/#comment-93 Anonymous Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:48:00 +0000 http://dcentric.wamu.org/?p=931#comment-93 Maybe it's time to call it Mocha City instead. Maybe it’s time to call it Mocha City instead.

]]> By: Anonymous http://dcentric.wamu.org/2010/09/on-milloy-gentrification-and-getting-over-things/#comment-92 Anonymous Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:46:00 +0000 http://dcentric.wamu.org/?p=931#comment-92 It seems many can agree that a mix of incomes and "races" and cultures is a desirable thing for a thriving community. Except for those folks that will have their comfort level or desire for homogenous power or identity challenged. But we might remember that Shaw and Columbia Heights ad Anacostia and some other neighborhoods also saw significant racial change - when they went from majority white to black decades ago. Some will say that whites elected to leave (for the white only burbs) or they fled black neighbors moving in. But those mostly white neighborhoods were "lost" nonetheless. The point is the city, neighborhoods, housing exists within the capitalist system and there will ups and downs of different groups over the centuries. Change is predictable. Staying the same forever is not. The current trend, if it continues, does seem to suggest that Blacks will comprise about a third of DC within the next 40 years. The city will become more polyglot. But racial and class segregation will likely remain in many places. Another little mentioned issue is that no city can thrive if one third of its residents are poor. We all should be incensed about that! So how to help the poor to rise above poverty here, rather than just deplete their housing options and nudge them out of town? It seems many can agree that a mix of incomes and “races” and cultures is a desirable thing for a thriving community. Except for those folks that will have their comfort level or desire for homogenous power or identity challenged. But we might remember that Shaw and Columbia Heights ad Anacostia and some other neighborhoods also saw significant racial change – when they went from majority white to black decades ago. Some will say that whites elected to leave (for the white only burbs) or they fled black neighbors moving in. But those mostly white neighborhoods were “lost” nonetheless. The point is the city, neighborhoods, housing exists within the capitalist system and there will ups and downs of different groups over the centuries. Change is predictable. Staying the same forever is not.
The current trend, if it continues, does seem to suggest that Blacks will comprise about a third of DC within the next 40 years. The city will become more polyglot. But racial and class segregation will likely remain in many places.

Another little mentioned issue is that no city can thrive if one third of its residents are poor. We all should be incensed about that!
So how to help the poor to rise above poverty here, rather than just deplete their housing options and nudge them out of town?

]]> By: alexbaca http://dcentric.wamu.org/2010/09/on-milloy-gentrification-and-getting-over-things/#comment-43 alexbaca Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:10:51 +0000 http://dcentric.wamu.org/?p=931#comment-43 Hey! Thanks for the link :) I wasn't complaining. Personally, I find the whole "Chocolate City" thing really interesting, and I enjoy living here because of that. My point of it being "not exactly inclusive of white people" is that I'm not even sure if it IS supposed to be inclusive. It's a point of pride for African Americans, especially those that have been there for decades. I don't think that's a bad thing. The idea of "Chocolate City" and what's attached to those words is extremely important to DC's history and I don't want to deride that.<br><br>I think "Chocolate City" is a thing, an atmosphere, and an identity, and I'm not even sure if it's SUPPOSED to be inclusive. That's the point that I was trying to raise--I have no complaints about it. Hey! Thanks for the link :) I wasn't complaining. Personally, I find the whole “Chocolate City” thing really interesting, and I enjoy living here because of that. My point of it being “not exactly inclusive of white people” is that I'm not even sure if it IS supposed to be inclusive. It's a point of pride for African Americans, especially those that have been there for decades. I don't think that's a bad thing. The idea of “Chocolate City” and what's attached to those words is extremely important to DC's history and I don't want to deride that.

I think “Chocolate City” is a thing, an atmosphere, and an identity, and I'm not even sure if it's SUPPOSED to be inclusive. That's the point that I was trying to raise–I have no complaints about it.

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