Gentrification: I'm Over Hipster White People
It’s not news that at some point all vibrant black communities will be gentrified by eager hipster young people and families, who are just totally over and bored with Soho and just need to find a new environment that is just as progressive as they are. Thus, they all sprint, young families and real estate developers alike, to the untouched black communities. However, I don’t think anyone expected them to come to Harlem. A few years ago, members of other New York city communities, turned up their noses at even the slightest reference to Harlem. Now, they, a little too eagerly, wait for Harlem to become anew so they can swoop in and pee all over the new territory, like a puppy. But how is a community that has the highest unemployment rate in Manhattan, at 18.6%, going to be affected by this gentrification? They’re going to suffer. Hard.
Besides having the highest unemployment rate in Manhattan, there are already around 1.4 million people who rely on the services of food pantries and soup kitchens. So, what does this mean? It means that Harlem residents, many of which are already struggling to feed themselves and/or their families, are going to have an even harder time finding reasonably priced food. This struggle to find reasonably priced food is only going to escalate, as a result of the “upscale” and “trendy” restaurants that are gentrifying Harlem right now. Furthermore, these same individuals who can’t find food are also going to have to worry about keeping a roof over their heads. The median rent for an 800 square foot apartment in Harlem has reached $2,100, which, once again, is a significant change that native Harlem residents will have to combat and deal with. Unfortunate, isn’t it? Harlem natives, who’ve grown up in that community, will have to pray that their local supermarket doesn’t get replaced by whole foods and their apartment rent doesn’t skyrocket.
In fact, food is probably the most alarming subtopic of gentrification. According to the CDC, the leading causes of death in the African-American community from 2012-2014 was Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke. Also according to the CDC, In 2011-2014 more than 50% of African American women over the age of 20 suffered from obesity. Based on these statistics, it's clear to see that the African American community has struggled for years with healthy eating habits. The reason for these bad eating habits can be attributed to various different reasons; fast food chains being deliberately placed in impoverished communities to the black culture being more drawn to fried and greasy foods, rather than healthier and cleaner options. So, how does this relate to gentrification? Once all of Harlem's former restaurants and grocery stores are replaced with more upscale and expensive options, black families will begin to turn food options that are both accessible and inexpensive. Also known as the fast food restaurant. This is not to say that black families in Harlem aren’t already eating fast food or adopting bad food habits, it’s simply to say that with gentrification surely comes an increase in unhealthy eating habits; whether they be pre-existing or fresh.
According to Sonya Young Aadam, CEO of California Black Women’s Health Project, “Much like New York, predominantly Black communities in California continue to experience the negative health effects of gentrification. The displacement of predominantly Black communities in California results in the common health-related side effects of gentrification like unstable housing, limited employment prospects, transportation vacuums, and more, but also contributes to scattering Black residents, diluting opportunities for sustainable and impactful place-based initiatives, increasing inequities in development of targeted funding resources, and the relative escalation in competition with other population groups for already scarce health funding, facilities, services, and benefits.”
Overall, gentrification is a phenomenon, which obviously has many effects. However, its effects, on the health of the communities that it affects, are particularly significant. For minority communities who are already victims of systemic oppression, gentrification is a matter of life or death. If your community is becoming gentrified, take the extra step to scout out healthy food options in your area. Keep an eye out for farmers markets or neighbourhood supermarkets, and try to cook as much as possible, and avoid cheap and unhealthy fast foods. Your environment might be changing, but your diet does not have to.