Talk of the Block: Author Joel Leon on Gentrification & Race

"I think the conversations we're missing in mainstream media about gentrification-there's a few. A lot of them just lack transparency, right? Like where gentrification starts, where it comes from. Mainstream media tends to leave race out of the conversation because it's an uncomfortable conversation for a lot of folks. We don't talk enough about the history of gentrification. We're especially at a point now in America where there's assumed knowledge around a lot of topics."

"Last month, performer and storyteller Joél Leon joined attorneys Keith White and Ken Montgomery at JACK Arts in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, for a conversation examining the intersection of gentrification and race in New York City. During the discussion at the nonprofit Brooklyn Combine, the three advocates reflected on their personal experiences with gentrification after witnessing the neighborhoods they grew up in transform into more commercial and white-adjacent spaces."

Mainstream media often omits race from gentrification coverage because the topic is uncomfortable for many people. Coverage frequently lacks transparency about where gentrification starts and how it arises. Gentrification functions as an output of deeper forces, including colonialism, rather than as an isolated phenomenon. Personal experiences show neighborhoods transforming into more commercial, white-adjacent spaces, eroding local health, culture, and diversity. Community involvement is essential to preserve neighborhood well-being and cultural identity. Historical context and explicit conversations about race are needed to understand gentrification’s roots and to protect long-term residents.

Read at City Limits