Dialogue Description:

On September 17th we invite you to join us again in monthly dialogue–this time examining the theme of gentrification in the Bay Area.  From San Francisco (also this, and this) to Oakland and beyond, we’ll analyze deeper trends that influence where we live and why, including “safety,” economics, credibility, and quality of life.  After all, gentrification is #73 on the list of Stuff White People Like. And how do race, class, gender and colonial settlement tie into the conversation?
For more resources on the intersection of gentrification and July’s dialogue topic of food justice, explore Oakland’s Phat Beet’s statement on gentrification, and the specific example of gentrification related to their cooperative community kitchen (local press, their response).
Dialogue Notes:
These are rough, uncut, unfiltered, and anonymous notes taken at the dialogue. We get that these may not be very readable to those who were not in attendance at the dialogue, and, honestly, sometimes even to those of us who were. We still feel it is important to keep them available as part of our accountability process and for archiving and reference purposes.  Some of these notes have been digested/transformed into blogs.
  • Colonial discourse, “life to lifeless place”
  • Primitive accumulation
  • Complicity and roles
  • Can/how can development be beneficial
  • Histories of place, who came before
  • Visionary action steps, conversation points, guide, tour
  • Language of security on neighborhood listserves – attacked for challenging
  • Chronic “pre-gentrifier”, always on cusp neighborhoods
  • Ways gentrifying trends are speaking to me, aesthetics, businesses
  • Places of home and work
  • Part of it, where to go with it?
  • Gentrification conversation feels like climate change conversation – so big,happening, and then what?
  • Making it personal – taking it personally, way to avoid issues
  • Use of queer politics to cut off conversation/engagement with race politics
  • In 1970s SF cottage industries, mistake to not make relationships withcommunities and movements to help use co-ops to make change, then the co- ops became co-opted and force of gentrification – be careful not to build something too soon, before building relationships
  • In trying to build community, how to take everyone’s side to not have enemies, community on personal, interpersonal, cultural and structural
  • One person’s choices not change the system
  • Discouraged side of me feels like if it weren’t this person, it would be another
  • Issue of hypocrisy, catch myself judging a lot – incongruent with values
  • What is utility making someone feel guilty when they have limited choices(i.e. driving to work)
    o What is strategic
    o One story, such as Trayvon Martin, can mobilize strategically
  • Phat Beets
    o Greasebox café, serving fried chicken and waffles, gluten-free, newowner took over
    o NOBE rebranding, using Phat Beets
  • What people are doing that is working, gratitude for that
  • New to a neighborhood, what is my role?
  • AWARE-LA, engage gentrifiers on responsibility, guide for new people to aneighborhood
  • What landlords, real estate agents doing it right?
  • As a woman, been taught to not take up space

o With gentrification, feel like if I didn’t exist here, this wouldn’t be an issue

o How do I be good white girl I was trained to be, knowing it doesn’t exist

o How do I take up space in way that’s not oppressing?

  • With white privilege, power to make change, what resources available to me, talking to other white people, may have more leverage
  • Explaining gentrification, always using another’s story
    o Everyone’s story, why should a white person care about racism –affects all
  • Problematics of using self-interest as organizing, does this have to be theappeal?
  • Often organizing more successful with an enemy – what works, what isstrategic, goals
  • Systemic issues getting individualized – unhelpful, and individual stories arehelpful
  • Superficial and profound self-interest, humanity being stolen – what giveslives meaning
  • Awareness (deep dialogue and emotional work) vs. organizing – somemiddle ground space
  • What is community self-interest?
  • What is a neighbor? Everyone cares about safety – could there betransformative neighborhood dialogue?
  • Put and hold things in multiple contexts
  • What is white people’s role in gentrification, what is alliance
  • Language of “revitalization”, “beautification”, “life into lifeless place”
  • Phenomenon of neighborhood listserveso Surveillance in coordination with police
    o Who are on them, not on them, alienated from them
    o What could be helpful interventions into this space?
    o Opportunity?
    o More effective to meet people in person, who are not on listserve
  • Alternative economy – form small scale representative democracy and decision-making, idealized as solution
  • People’s defenses, not shaming, compassion
  • Slow and fast change, with relationship-building
  • How support Phat Beet struggle – have asked for support?
  • Everyone justifies their place in gentrification, what is situation that has ledus there, no one feeling like doing something wrong, doing best or only thingcan do, keep everyone’s perspective in mind
  • Everyone will see situation differently
  • How representing Oakland
  • Noticing defensiveness
  • Would love support in making a renter’s guide – making informed decisions

o Paul Kivel – questions you ask yourself
o Politicizing yourself with lager world around you, how to connect

answers to bigger narrative of what’s happening all over, inspire you

to get involved
o Victim story of white women in renting/real estate
o If questions were asked, would it change the landscape? Making a deal

or not – perspective shift