Source: Instagram
The Voices Summer Program also visited the Philadelphia Urban Creator’s Life Do Grow Urban farm in North Central Philadelphia. Youth leaders at PUC have organized around issues of nutrition, safe spaces, and now gentrification among other critical community issues. Students went to the farm to collaborate with other young people in examining what their communities need and how they can organize to achieve it!
By: Molly
By Patrece D.
This is what I would say if I were to be interviewed about the change and “improvements” of my community fifty years from now.
“Growing up I was convinced that it takes a life to learn how to live and that you never stop learning. Then I started to think, ‘Well, what is there to learn if the world never changes?’ That wasn’t true because I learned a lot about the world, probably more than myself. At sixteen I learned it early. Even after understanding, things were complicated. The opportunities were sparse. I was lost and still till this day I don’t think I truly found myself but I found who I want to be and everyday is based on just that: who and what I want to be. I had dreams and most importantly I had this desire to be something more than human. Maybe I’d have a better chance at changing the world that way. I didn’t want to be an actress; I did that everyday, pretending to be something else more exciting and extraordinary. I didn’t want to be a doctor because I didn’t have time helping others get better when my own shit wasn’t together. I wanted to be human and live while still feeling alive because I heard that was the best feeling. You can be alive and not feel alive. I wanted to live harmoniously in the world. I didn’t want to fall in love hopelessly because I did that all the time. In and out. Most of all I wanted to be apart of a community that wasn’t falling apart. Reaching a point of unity without the input of a new plaza across the street, seemed impossible. I’m now in my sixes and even in this generation it seems impossible.”
By: Anthony
This is a Wordle about gentrification in North Philly. It talks about things in North Philly that are being gentrified, but it’s mainly representing the farm we went to, Philadelphia Urban Creators’ Life Do Grow Farm. The wordle was a way to express my ideas about gentrification in words and phrases.
In the making of this meme I was thinking the first signs of gentrification. And one of the first sighs of gentrification is white people moving in more and more in a neighborhood that didn’t have that many resources. But more resources will be provide in that neighborhood when white people move in and black people or the minorities move out.
By: Isaiah P.
Sameria
You don’t need a million dollars to change a community. All you need is willing people with enough heart and confidence to make a change.
A visit to Northern Liberties showed me that as u move more and more out of the neighborhood that you are in, the more it looks gentrified and sometimes you wont even know it.
Message of this Comic: What happened to the people that lived in these home? How come their feelings won’t fit into the equation?
~ Artwork By: Jenza Evans
Kabbeh Davies
As we walked over to the community center at the North City Congress, I anticipated what new things I would learn that day. I didn’t foresee that I would be the one educating the older adults on the issues of gentrification. I was under the impression that older people knew everything because they are well, older. Well, not necessarily. Many of the elderly that I had the privilege to talk to were very knowledgeable, but not on the topic of gentrification. After providing the best definition of the term and explaining how it plays out in the community, the serious dialogue started. My interviewees began to point out how they have noticed gentrification in Philly. From that I realized that the elderly knew what gentrification was, but had never heard the term before.
Once they knew and understood the term “gentrification,” they began to explain to me how they notice it in the community. Ms. Margaret Kinnard stated that she hadn’t noticed gentrification in Germantown yet, but she has in North Philadelphia. Ms. Margaret stated that, “A lot of things have changed since I was growing up. In this area in North Philly, this is Temple Town. Every time I look around there is something being built by Temple.” She also added that the gentrifiers are, “Greedy people! They are about money. They are going to the student’s parents because they (the parents) have all the money. We are beneath the students.” Like the others I talked to, Ms. Margaret expressed her grief with gentrification after her initial surprise that something she had notice in her community was given a name.
Isn’t that the focus of all struggle, even minor illness? Once you can give your illness a name, you are aware of how it manifests and you are able to combat it. It is as if naming your struggle empowers you. This became clear to me after my visit to North City Congress. Sometimes, it is not always what you will learn but what you will teach.
Source Northern Liberties Nail Salon
By: Nia G.
Northern Liberties is in the process of gentrification. It’s beginning to be the home of new urban homes with super high rent but also too pricey prices in the different stores surrounding. However, these high prices serve a purpose in this neighborhood the business owners that own these stores also have to pay high rent and in order to keep their business afloat they must make their prices high. The young urban professionals and new families are willing to pay these high prices because if not they would live in Northern Liberties, now would they? While walking down 2nd street I passed a nail salon with some high prices such as a full set costing $50 and a pedicure $30 as you can see in the photo above. Now compared to where I live which is North Philadelphia it only cost $15 for a full set and $20 for a pedicure see the large price difference. It all revolves around where you live, gentrification is a trending cycle.
Jeff
I was talking to Ms. Darnetta at North City Congress and she was saying that if the community
comes together and work together they can get the neighborhood’s voice heard if they want
to speak out about a certain situation. There are certain things that you need to have for a
community to be successful. Here of 3 of those things.
1. Have Neighborhood Meetings
Meetings can be productive conversation about the problems or things that need to be done
in the neighborhood. A good neighborhood meeting will be beneficial because you can then
address the things that are positive and negative on your block.You need to know everybody
on your block and make an effort to get along with them so everybody can be involved with the
neighborhood. Having meetings that give neighbors insight about what is causing problems in
your neighborhood. It’s important to have somebody who can take the lead so the neighborhood
won’t be dirty and look like the people who live on that block don’t care about it. If you don’t
have a person with a leadership role and a mission then it won’t be any progress in your
neighborhood.
2. Start clean up days
This is important because a clean block will let people who pass by know that it is a
neighborhood who takes pride in their neighborhood. It also shows that everybody on the block
are on the same page when cleaning the streets. It’s a nice time for everyone to pitch in and
interact with each other.
3. Host neighborhood events.
This is important so everyone can enjoy their neighbor’s company. Community events bring the
neighborhood closer. A successful neighborhood event shows that people can come together
in a positive way for a fun time. Events such as block parties or community picnics, with music,
food, and games are always fun.
By: Safiya
Ms. Hazel From North City Congress
Our very own seniors have their opinions on what is going on in the community and how it has affected them. Ms. Hazel Withers, from North City Congress Community Center, had a lot to say about North Philadelphia being taken over by Temple students. Hazel said, “The change is not for the better. I’ve seen it and it hurts.” She said that she started noticing changes during her junior high school years; she is now 72 years old. She feels as though a change can come if we as a community come together and make it happen.
“People need to stop sitting on their fist and start leaning on their thumbs. People should fight, stand up, and help.” I completely agree with her, we can make a change. People are being kicked out of their homes while developers are creating new condos for students. Why do we keep allowing these things to happen? We need to take a stand against this so called “Development.”
Gentrification in Philadelphia 