In the excerpts from There Goes the ‘Hood, author Lance Freeman takes a deep dive into the gentrification phenomenon. He frames his argument around what he calls “the arrival of whites” into predominately black neighbors. In his analysis he includes testimonials from a variety of residents, including both long-time residents and the new coming white “gentrifiers.” Among the observations from the long-time residents, many cite the white presence for the general improvement of the neighborhood. One observer, Henry, notes, “You’re getting more police protection and everything, as expected. I guess the whites demanded more of the Police Department and they’re just doing their job—what they say are their job.” From Henry’s perspective, the police directly responded to a complaint from the new, wealthy, white community, while they have long neglected the needs of the black neighborhood pre-gentrification. While some connect the rise in police responsiveness to tangible factors such as rising real estate values, improved community activism, and increased investment, others turn to conspiratorial narratives to explain the gentrification question.
The common conspiracy theory expressed by some of these long-time residents suggests a deeply ingrained white superiority complex towards blacks. In some related conspiracy theories, this feeling manifests in truly sinister scenarios. Take for instance the quoted exchange from the movie Boyz N the Hood where Furious explains a conspiracy. “Why is it that there is a gun shop in almost every corner in this community? … For the same reason there’s a liquor store on almost every corner in the black community. They want us to kill ourselves.” This quote illustrates the dark mistrust felt by some blacks toward the white dominated society. The gentrification conspiracy theory doesn’t go as far as the one Furious explains, but the sense that the system is rigged to push blacks out of their communities does have some legitimacy in history. Freeman explains past policies that sound like conspiracies but were actually implemented. Policies such as racially segregated zoning laws, restrictive covenants, and “red lining” are all relics of the past, but the underlying racial overtones are still lodged in the national consciousness.
One cannot ignore how these past policies still inform the opinions of many during the present day. Although economic trends and social movement can explain gentrification concretely, the conspiratorial explanations reveal the racial oppression that many still feel in society today. The movement away from this feeling will be arduous but may be eased by initiatives that lessen the blow gentrification causes long-time black residents. A simple start would be the preservation of historic culture within gentrified neighborhoods. This could indicate that newcomers embrace the cultural aspects and wish to live as a part of the neighborhood rather than create anew based on their own culture. Although a relatively minor initiative, such an act would signal a genuine interest in integration, and disavow the segregationist policies of the past.