Degree Name

MA in Sustainable Development

First Advisor

Nikoi Kote-Nikoi

Second Advisor

Karen Blanchard

Abstract

This paper is about Black people and community involvement against the backdrop of gentrification in Washington, DC, and possibility of Black-led neighborhood revitalization. My practicum in Southeast Washington DC compelled me to examine the ability of a Black person in Washington DC to sustain commitment to a community that they do not live in, and if Black people moving to gentrifying areas of Washington DC can help the predominantly Black non-gentrifying areas to gentrify on their own terms.

This paper focuses specifically on Black individuals who have spent time in DC and proposed ways that Black non-gentrifying communities can revitalize their areas without the threat of displacement.

Research showed that a number of Black men and women are able to maintain significant support to the gentrified DC community over an extended period of time, regardless of living in the area of community support. The findings shed light on a seldom discussed aspect of gentrification, namely, the Black people who choose to live in gentrified areas with the intent of making a positive impact in the gentrification narrative than is often not perceived or acknowledged.

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Demography, Population, and Ecology | Family, Life Course, and Society | Growth and Development | Inequality and Stratification | Politics and Social Change | Race and Ethnicity | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Urban Studies and Planning

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