The word “gentrification” is certainly a familiar term for all Brooklyn residents. Locations such as Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, and Flatbush, predominately black, historic neighborhoods, are being reconstructed to cater to the new demographic.

This recent phenomenon is changing the attitudes of new v. old residents concerning the reshaping of their community. The integration causes new problems due to internalize prejudices, preconceived notions, and different lifestyles. These new social relations have the potential to affect future community growth either positively or negatively.

 

Why Gentrification is Good:

 

 

 

 

Why Gentrification is Bad:

 

Spike Lee’s Rant Against Gentrification

 

The main problem is old-time residents feel that they are being pushed out and isolated out of their birthplaces. The new facilities and shops are not truly meant for the old-timers but rather for a younger demographic with pocket money to spare. This is how the real resentment comes in – the feeling of being uninvited from ones own home.

But there’s hope for the future, the Millennials especially, who embrace acceptance and appreciate diversity. The path of progress can take an entirely new turn if the two populations were to work together. Cultural understanding and empathy is extremely important to a culture that has been so overlooked and hated. True community building ought to be seeing life from a different perspective and then including that perspective at the discussion table.