Gentrification Forum 2/19 @ FDRC

The Gentrification Forum organized by V.O.T.E.R. (Voters Of The Electorate of Rochester) at FDRC (Frederick Douglass Resource Center) on Saturday 2/19 was well attended and offered a wide variety of input, perspectives and discussion. I'm going to summarize some of my own reactions and hope that others will share their thoughts as well.

I was pleased with the variety of folks who attended (City Council reps, neighborhood stakeholders, housing investors, agency reps, interested family members, neighborhood residents, volunteers, etc.). This mixture resulted in a variety of viewpoints and perspectives.
The historical framework of systemic segregation and how it still shows up today as a result was helpful and necessary for me to understand why there continues to be a lack of trust/faith that things will be any different going forward.
Cypress Jackson spoke of the different perspectives between Whites and Blacks in respect to community "safety." While Whites see the increase of people walking their dogs at 5 a.m. or jogging at 7 p.m. as a sign of increased safety, longtime Black residents see it as the beginning of being pushed out of their neighborhoods (e.g. Corn Hill, Brooks Landing). Increased police presence for Blacks often means increased harassment, not increased safety.
Lack of adequate communication within neighborhoods results in lack of awareness of all of the efforts that do exist to bring residents into the forums wherein decisions about their communities are being discussed. Unfortunately, some of the representative "neighborhood groups" operate solely on volunteer capacity (no "office," no phone, no supplies, no marketing expenses, etc.) so that their impact is limited. It was noted by several attendees that getting residents motivated to take action (even attend a meeting) is extremely difficult, or just not happening. It is my hope that the younger citizens of our community will engage their passion around civic engagement and lead the way toward standing up for themselves as community residents with a voice and a vote.
Communication can't be just "meetings" or flyers. We need to meet folks where they are at; for example, do more home visits and bring that information to the meetings.
It was stated that residents aren't "at the table." As a 15-year member of the SW Common Council (SWCC) and a participant of the hundreds of hours of community meetings that resulted in James Madison School of Excellence, I have to respectfully argue that point. SWCC is considered the "hub" of SouthWest Quadrant activity and is open to all neighborhood groups, leaders, residents, etc. The primary voting core of the SWCC is made up of 2 representatives from each of the 5 neighborhoods that make up Sector 4. Added to those members are the communities stakeholders (UR, NeighborWorks, Neighborhood Service Center staff, Teen Empowerment, Sector 4 CDC, etc.) who attend these monthly meetings to create a collaborative forum for discussing neighborhood issues, networking, establishing partnerships, and breaking down silos. This meeting is held on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. at the SW Community Center (275 McCree Way). At the last meeting, one city official remarked at the impressive mixture of participation and representation at this meeting and how he does not see it elsewhere in the city. To me, this is already a long-term system in place for pulling neighborhood folks to the table and addressing important issues. All minutes and contact information are posted on Location SW. There are committees in need of chairpersons or one can just gather information and help pass it along.
CDC's (Community Development Corporation) are put forth as one key way of ensuring that community voice is included in discussions about property and development affecting residents. The Sector 4 CDC includes at least one member of all of the 5 neighborhoods that made up Sector 4. Since we have moved into Quadrants and our catchment area has expanded, the CDC will be adding new members that represent our new "partners." These members are voices into the decision-making process of the CDC and we should know who they are and how they are voting. The Sector 4 CDC has created a "group" on Location SW so that information can be shared with the public.

Again, it is my hope that we can continue to have open and honest discussions that result in steps we can take to break down barriers between residents and move toward a supportive community structure wherein everyone's point of view is relevant and heard. Okay, who's next?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Margy Meath on February 23, 2011 at 12:12pm

I was not able to attend this but appreciate your sharing what was discussed. A few reactions:

"Cypress Jackson spoke of the different perspectives between Whites and Blacks in respect to community "safety." While Whites see the increase of people walking their dogs at 5 a.m. or jogging at 7 p.m. as a sign of increased safety, longtime Black residents see it as the beginning of being pushed out of their neighborhoods (e.g. Corn Hill, Brooks Landing). Increased police presence for Blacks often means increased harassment, not increased safety"

--> i get concerned when comments are made that seem to generalize the way certain 'groups' of people see things. Many of my neighbors (black and white) regularly walk their dogs and many of them (black and white) walk and/or jog on a regular basis. I view this as a sign that people are interested in their neighborhood and/or their well being and that they FEEL safe enough to do it here. Many of those same neighbors will avoid these activities on certain streets - i.e. not many would walk their dog on Thurston, for example, because it is frequently littered with glass and other trash which makes dog walking difficult). Likewise, at any community meeting i have been to, involved citizens (black and white) have expressed a desire for more police presence in certain problem areas - i.e. Thurston, Arnett, etc. I fully appreciate that for SOME black people, the presence of police can feel (or BE) a form of harassment, but I think that there is danger in making broad statements that generalize things according to groups (i.e. race, gender, income status, etc....)

"It was stated that residents aren't "at the table." As a 15-year member of the SW Common Council (SWCC) and a participant of the hundreds of hours of community meetings that resulted in James Madison School of Excellence, I have to respectfully argue that point..."

--> I think that it is always easy for people who already feel included to believe that they are welcoming of others, etc - BUT, if the experience of 'outsiders' is that they are not really welcomed and/or that the 'inside group' is elite/exclusive then the result is feeling like they cannot be at the table and/or that their input doesn't really matter. the perception of being 'at the table' varies significantly in our community. For those who are a part of the SWCC, the perspective is going to be very different than for those who are not a part. To use my street as an example, we have what some consider to be a strong and active block club - we do a lot of activities, have improved quality of life, etc. BUT, some people don't feel that they are a part of what we do - in some instances, this is related to some difficult past experience/interactions. In other instances, it is because the 'active' members of the group (who want/welcome involvement!) have not done a good job reaching out - different perceptions/perspectives based on each person's experience.

"Again, it is my hope that we can continue to have open and honest discussions that result in steps we can take to break down barriers between residents and move toward a supportive community structure wherein everyone's point of view is relevant and heard. Okay, who's next?"

--> this is my hope as well!! thanks for starting the conversation.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Boutet on February 25, 2011 at 5:43pm

Thanks for the excellent review of 2/19 Gentrification Forum Eleanor. I found the presentation and discussion afterward very interesting and informative about the varying perceptions of issues involved. I took a number of pictures of most of the presenters. Some of the pictures capture the visuals presented and give you a feel for the group that was there. Hopefully some of the other photographers that were taking pictures can fill in portions I missed.

February 19 was a cold and snowy day and it was nice to get in this beautiful Fredric Douglass Resource Center. The group that attended was quite diverse.

Dominique Adams, Director of V.O.T.E.R., welcomed the group and made the first presentation on Urban Renewal and Gentrification.

Dominique then introduced Professor Verdice Robinson form Monroe Community College who delivered the main presentation on Migration and White Flight from "URBAN" Communities.

Professor Robinson mentioned that he benefited from the Urban Suburban busing program in the Greater Rochester area. It would be very interesting some day to get a presentation on education issues and hear his view on the options.

Professor Robinson's presentation was followed by "A Retrospective on Corn Hill" presented by Mike Shaw. (no picture available) The Corn Hill transition is one of the primary reasons the community is very sensitive to the Gentrification issue.

Next Megan Macpherson, member of V.O.T.E.R., presented "The 'URBAN' Winners and Losers of Renewal". Megan was followed by Cypress Jackson, member of V.O.T.E.R., who presented the concluding remarks. The Forum then invited questions and comments from the floor and a lively and interesting discussion ensued. Gerard Hunt Executive Director of FDRC helped moderate the discussion.

Councilman Adam McFadden reminded attendees that there had been many meetings to which all community residents had been invited for input on the various renewal projects, and that some statements made here today overlooked this effort. Also, he stated, care had been taken to try to avoid having longtime residents ousted from their homes.

Councilman Dana Miller discussed the many efforts that City and Neighborhood groups make to get community involvement for input into decision making.

One longtime community group organizer, Sylvia Barker, pointed out that getting young people from her area into her group is very hard. She is the last of her 20 friends who, together, started her group. Who will carry it forward?

All the pictures and captions can be found in Album: 110219 Gentrification Forum at FDRC Pictures load fast there and you are welcome to add comments.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mark Sweetland on March 3, 2011 at 2:04am

I agree. I have lived here for 28 years now. I bought my house hoping it would improve in value, but not only for that reason. I moved here because I really liked the house and location.

I found a place I loved that I will stay in until they move me into Mt. Hope cemetary. I really don't understand this "gentrification" idea, since I make less than $13,000 a year, working part-time. And support two people.

Black or white, the issues are jobs, and getting along with each other on your street. Sheri, you have a great block club. Keep up the good work!