“The Social Life of the Socially Dead”: Gentrification and Displacement in the Five Points District of Denver, Colorado
Public Deposited- Creator
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Bruton, Stephanie
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology
- Abstract
- The establishment of historically Black towns and districts across the United States provided African Americans a sense of agency through developing wealth, residency, and sustainable businesses. Such areas highlighted the formation of hubs of Black affluence, which grounded the economy and infrastructure of such towns and generated community morale. However, these minority communities face the threat of gentrification when external groups relocate into these distinct areas and introduce other forms of commerce. Black citizens have often been forced out of these areas into surrounding cities and must attempt to rebuild their former identities elsewhere. Such is the case with Five Points, Denver, Colorado, which began as a hub of Black social advancement and a base for transient job opportunities. Ironically, its vibrant economic base became a key contributor to its subsequent downfall. This article seeks to examine the Five Points Historical Black District through a historical lens. It presents recommendations for the current planning and redesigning of the neighborhood, pointing out factors that might further prevent former and current Black residents from regaining a sense of self, both financially and socially. The case study of Five Points also allows room for discussion concerning issues of gentrification and the subsequent social death of the Black community in Colorado. The article ends by comparing the gentrification of Five Points to the Hayti District of Durham, North Carolina to demonstrate that such patterns are present in the larger, nationwide context.
- Date of publication
- 2023
- Keyword
- DOI
- Resource type
- Article
- Rights statement
- In Copyright
- Journal title
- Global Africana Review
- Journal volume
- 7
- Journal issue
- 1
- Page start
- 3
- Page end
- 16
- Language
- English
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