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What is gentrification? 

Gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district's character and culture. (PBS, 2003). In Boston, large development projects protecting cooperate interests have promoted gentrification and displacement (Nuestra Comunidad, 2015). However, there is a growing anti-gentrification movement lead by activists committed to educating our communities and advocating for equitable housing and fair wages. 

During this webinar, we will be joined by speakers from three Boston-area organizations, Nuestra Comunidad Development, City Life / Viva Urbana, and Right to the City, who are organizing to resist gentrification efforts in and around the city. Representatives from these organizations will share their experiences with gentrification and how they are organizing to preserve our communities' culture, character, and residents.

Speakers: 

Darnell Johnson, Right to the City Boston, Regional Coordinator - Darnell coordinates the Boston Alliance in its core strategies of base building, community leadership development, political education, and community building. RTCB is focused on fighting the root causes of gentrification and displacement.  We are building power for long-term transformation change.  Darnell joined RTC’s staff in 2014 after years of community and labor organizing focusing on the intersections of race, class, gender, and oppression. Darnell is a founding member of the African American Theatre Company at the University of Louisville and has been seen on stage with Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Kentucky Opera, and the Juneteenth Legacy Theatre

Lisa Owens, Executive Director at City Life/Vida Urbana, a Boston based grassroots organization working to build social, racial and economic justice and gender equality. City Life’s principal work is 1) to stop displacement of working-class communities now--through grassroots organizing and leadership development, direct action protest and civil legal aid, 2) to create permanent social ownership of land and housing, 3) to support the demands of working-class community groups for real power and decision making over long-term planning and development in our cities, and 4) to advocate for policies and programs within local governments across the country that support our goals. Lisa has been actively involved in social movement building groups for over 25 years. Lisa is currently a board member of the Boston based Coalition of Occupied Homes in Foreclosure (COHIF), which is building an anti-displacement land trust linked to local tenant organizing struggles. She is a board member of Resist, a national foundation that supports people's movements for justice and liberation. And, she is a member of LeftRoots, a national formation of social movement organizers and activists who are connecting grassroots struggles to a strategy to win liberation for all people and the planet.

Facilitator: 

Nakia Navarro, Program Director -- Nakia joined the Grassroots Fund in July 2016 and her nonprofit experience spans well over fifteen years. Prior to joining the Grassroots Fund, Nakia the New England Regional Director at Let’s Get Ready which provides low-income high school students with support services to both enter and complete college. Nakia volunteers her time by speaking to youth about her career and how to become a community organizer. She also volunteers as a board member of both the WBGH Community Advisory Board and the Rise Above Foundation Board. 

This webinar is brought to you from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund through the RootSkills Training Series.