Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Seattle is losing its blackness...


Well brother and sisters of African American History class, I highly encourage you to read the Seattle Times Sunday addition May 29, 2016 article concerning this most disturbing gentrification of Seattle’s Central District. As Whites begin to move into the predominately African American Central District, some African American feel as though they are strangers in their own neighborhood, according to the article a long time resident of the Central District (CD) who is African American stated, when she walks her dog, the newly arrivals of whites will cross the street to avoid her.   Due to the city’s tech boom has raised the cost of living pushing higher income earners into lower-income neighborhoods.  According to the article the CD is 20 percent Black down from 70 percent.  Due to the rising property values and the increase in rent is forcing many African American’s to relocate to other areas of the city. Many former residence of the CD are relocating to Kent, Renton, and Skyway.

The relocating process is having an effect on churches, and several local business in the CD.  Some Churches and business are forcing to close current location to follow parishioners, customers and reopen their churches and business.  This is of biblical proportions, the Jews forcing the Palestinians from their homeland.  White Americans are forcing African American from the CD into other areas of the city. Many of the CD residence are not able to afford the rising cost due to unemployment, underemployment, mass incarceration, the drug epidemic of the 1980’s.

Brothers and Sisters all of us must fight to preserve the gentrification process that is approaching Tacoma’s Hill Top neighborhood. I close with these words, let’s not focus on gentrification, rather centrification.

There is another article of interest in this same issues I encourage you to read, Bellevue to cut booster club ties.


                  Thank you and God bless Brother Herb.

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