| dc.description.abstract |
Once known as “Chocolate City” for its prosperous Black residents, businesses, and
communities, Washington, D.C. today is in many ways a contrasting image. The City
continues to lose its Black residents and remaining majority Black communities are
at elevated risk of displacement. Intensive development and gentrification further
increase the cost of living in D.C., subsequently making the City too expensive for
many. Further, as newcomers integrate into communities, existing norms, spaces, and
traditions valuable to long-term residents are erased. The District’s majority Black
Ward 8 is at increased risk of erasure through physical and cultural displacement.
As long-term residents’ needs go unaddressed and housing costs increase, alongside
the elimination of critical community assets, impactful solutions are increasingly
decisive to the longevity of Black communities. This report explores the impacts of
development and gentrification in the District. Through comparative historical analysis
of both Ward 6 and Ward 8 and interviews with long-term residents and field experts,
the report provides insights and recommendations for how local leaders can prevent
cultural displacement in Ward 8. Recommendations include long-term resident covenants,
a DC Council Committee on Preservation, the expansion of grocery store access, community
land trusts for small businesses, and additional research on cultural displacement
and preservation. To better serve and preserve Black D.C. communities, District leaders
must prioritize swift, effective solutions in Ward 8.
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