TITLE: THE WAR ON GENTRIFICATION

TOPIC: Gentrification and its role in causing a cultural shift in communities (housing, neighborhood amenities, and pushing out low-income families.)

Noticing a problem:

The issue of gentrification is more prominently noticed in low-income neighborhoods that are known to house people of color. Neighborhoods in Brooklyn and areas within Harlem that were previously seen to provide countless hair salons, buffets restaurants, and family block parties; are now filled with Trader Joes, City Bikes, and skyscraper apartments that cost $5,000 a month next to an older $1,000 a month units.

Audience: Gentrifier, the Gentrified, and those who are contributors but may not know they are. 

Identifying the stakeholders: Low-income households (primarily people of color).

Defining your Ethos – what is your relationship to the problem and how are you best placed to address it?:

My relationship to the issues of gentrification is I viewed it through my aunt’s experience with losing her home caused of the development changes that prioritized the more wealthy. Growing up and visiting her house there were multiple beauty supply stores, small family-owned food establishments, and easy access to go to the corner and get a snack and drink for $5 dollars. Now, a drink alone is $5, there are fewer family-owned restaurants and the same beauty supply stores now share the block with various clothing stores, mini shopping malls, skyscrapers, and modern apartment complexes.

How do you plan on supporting your research? What types of sources do you think you will need? What sorts of obstacles might you run into when trying to conduct research on this topic? :

To support my research, I plan on using sources such as JSTOR, articles/ magazines (The New Yorker, Vulture, Vice), and other research essays. In addition to using trusted publications, I believe sourcing my own experiences and seeing the shift in development and diversity in my own neighborhood compared to Brooklyn and Harlem helps with my stance on the subject matter.

Why is this topic interesting to you? Why do you care about this topic?:

This topic interests me because although gentrification has not caused a change in my housing I experience it daily through the things I consume, such as food prices, clothing, and my living necessities. 

Why should your readers care about this topic?:

I believe readers should care about this topic because some people may not be aware that they are contributing to gentrification and causing a shift in culture, diversity, people’s resources, and how people make a profit.

– TALIA