And the word for today is...Gentrification

Spike Lee

And the word for today is...Gentrification

(Can you say that?)

 

By Glenn Peppers                                                                 2-28-14

You know, I agree that sometimes Spike Lee can go off on a tangent that is most often very self serving, and almost always personal and sanctimonious. Yet this time, I think he has a valid point! Check out what the word "Gentrification" means in the Wikipedia link below!

Gentrification: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentrification 

Gentrification is something that is happening in most urban cities across America. Midway of the article that I posted below this paragraph focused on Spike Lee’s argument on the subject. Within the article, New York University Professor, Mitchell Moss was indeed in my eyes, grossly misinformed and dead wrong as far as his opinion on Detroit and its Gentrification status. Gentrification “is” in fact going on right here and now in the city of Detroit. 

Here is that Spike Lee article that sparked my interest! 

http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/02/27/spike-lee-rips-gentrification-refuses-backdown-backlash/

New DOT Buses equipped with Video Cameras

As far as Gentrification and odd goings on in Detroit; for example, where were all those nice new public service vehicles last year? Were their debut in the works just before Christmas of 2013? And if so, why was there no mentioning of such a thing forthcoming in the near future, as badly as the city needed to hear something encouraging civic wise, especially just around Christmas time? 

Take for instance, all those nice brand new Police Units, and EMT rescue units, and a virtually all new fleet of brand new city buses equipped with video cameras. Where was the talk of those items coming soon? Not to mention the offering up of some sane and level headed (for once) workable solutions to the city's street light problem; as well as (from what I am hearing) a much better trash pick up system than just three months ago? 

Wow! I find it amazing that after Detroit attains a newly elected mayor, suddenly out of nowhere, all the civic-circus-fuss and strife, and gigantic cash-flow problems appear to no longer be a problem. Hmmm! Then also out of the blue, Lansing all of a sudden magically “Discovers” an surprising cache of funds that includes, millions and millions of dollars, out of nowhere, as well!... Hmmm. Could it be (and let me remain tactful) the result of our recent mayoral change of office?... I wonder! 

That "You don't belong here" Look!

Yet on a more personal level, what I am getting thoroughly, and completely tired of is this one tremendously annoying thing. I’m so through with going places within the city of Detroit, and having people (mostly whites) who are outsiders or newbies to the city of Detroit looking, staring and talking down at me, and responding to me as if I do not belong there. 

I lived in Detroit for well over 48 years, and have been an active member of the community, and a tax paying, fine upstanding citizen of the city of Detroit! I was a Detroiter longer than some of those looking down at me with distain have been alive! 

So yes, I understand what Spike Lee is talking about when it comes to people trying to Minus You Out! From deep within my heart, my belief is this; fine, move back into the city (yet do so not before asking yourself why you or your parents left in the first place). Yes Live in Detroit! Enjoy it, and please do, build Detroit back up again. Yet at the same time, don't feel that in order to do so, you have to destroy or diminish its hard working industrial, musical and cultural history, as well as expel or ostracize Detroit's present citizens! 

Don't feel that you have to now banish people of color (folks like me), or the poor, as well as middle class folk of Any Color out of the city in order to make that happen! That my friend is classic, Gentrification in its truest form! 

Ya ever feel like the Yellow Chickadee?

What is Gentrification like? Well its kind of like, you're a Yellow Chickadee, talking to a brown chickadee, and then while you two are talking, another brown chickadee walks up, and then another, and then another, and before you know it. All of a sudden all those brown chickadee's who just showed up begin talking among themselves, completely phasing you, the yellow chickadee out of the conversation, as if you weren't even there or didn't even exist! Its kinda like that!

Remember, everyone who lives or lived in Detroit is not responsible for its decay and blight, nor its financial ruin and practical demise! If anything, those who stayed, paid the bills, and contributed! They actually helped keep the city going by simply being there to pay those extremely high taxes and and home and auto insurance rates; that oh by the way, are slated to soon magically come down and be more reasonably priced, for some strange reason. Hmmm, I wonder what that reason could be?

For those citizens who have stayed in Detroit, and are staying in Detroit, sticking it out, I commend you. Yet for those newbies to move in, and treat those who still own (and even rent) their homes, who keep their property immaculately polished as if they are squatters in their own hometown is unfair, and wrong! 

The lies were put in place long ago that the city and its public school system was all broken down and in danger of crumbling. As a result, services were cut throughout, and unions were destroyed, and jobs lost. I'm still amazed that people fell for that hype put out that the sole reason for Detroit  supposedly going broke was the fault of a selfish arrogant former mayor. Placing the blame every other place but where it should have been, therefore leaving the city to rot and simply deteriorate, on purpose so that it would be ripe for Urban Renewal, and revitalization! 

Fixing Detroit's Street Light Problem

Do you remember not so many months ago that at one point, the only solution to solving the Street Light issue in the city of Detroit was a stern threat from the Mayor (and our Governor) to Shut Off the remaining street lights in certain blighted areas in order to force folks to move out of their homes? So your option back then was if they lived in areas where there was high crime, and a lack of inhabitable housing and/or population within their community because of blight, you would be minus'ed out of the equation! You'd get no police service. No fire and rescue, and heaven help you on trash pick up day!

Now all of a sudden, within a few months. Everything's magically springing back to life... almost instantly! And now all of a sudden, out of the blue there are workable solutions to the Street Light problem, as well as other things that just a couple of months ago were deemed almost impossible situations to solve! 

For some folks, everything remain's the same. Nothing has changed. 

Sure I say clean up the blight. Lock up and/or reform the Thug Element. Just don't sweep out the Marbles and Jax (the good folks) with the Dust and Trash on the floor! And that goes for anyone who preys on the good citizens of Detroit. No matter who they are! 

Well here we are. Long time citizens of southeastern of Michigan being Reclassified (so to speak), ostracized and Minus'ed Out! So if all this talk about Taking Detroit Back really means, (as Spike Lee termed it) “Bogarting” those out of the city who have been nothing but good citizens, patiently waiting for (and even participating in) Detroit's resurgence to happen; this is wrong! 

This act of Gentrification can be deemed (as Spike Lee called it) a Christopher Columbus style move indeed! I guess that old saying and cliché is in fact true! "The more things change. The more they do in fact stay the same!" 

Glenn Peppers