Sup Teach?

Last night I brought some students to see a show called Taking Over by Danny Hoch, a pioneer in Hip-Hop Theater. Taking Over is a one-man show where Danny takes a look at the gentrification in Brooklyn through the eyes of various community figures, from greedy developers to hippy hipsters to the locals who have lived in the neighborhood all of their lives.

Our Center seeks out social justice issues that our students can confront and talk about. Last night, that definitely happened. Danny talked a great deal about the influx of new residents into Brooklyn; many of these transplants come from fairly wealthy backgrounds, many are young professionals, many are white and many are students. He explicitly called out students from our university as well, warranted or not (it probably is). The reaction from the students was varied. Some were angry and didn’t enjoy the show while others felt like it was a revelation. Whatever the case, Danny achieved his goal because we were talking about it and will continue our discussion and continue asking questions.

Prior to watching the show, I had talked about gentrification with fellow California “transplants”. This was the first time that I really heard the perspective of the local, the native, the angry. In my apartment building, there are 3 university students (that I know of). It’s no surprise that the area is attractive to students – it’s [fairly] affordable and [fairly] close to the school. Our gain, but whose loss? Many people are being driven out of these neighborhoods, and rents will increase much more once businesses start up and such.

So what is the role of universities and colleges in this process? Or better yet, what is their responsibility? Institutions of Higher Education change the landscape of the communities in which they exist on a daily basis. When you’re talking about an extremely large school such as mine, you’re also talking expansion. NYU and Columbia are two of the biggest owners of real estate in the city and they continue to gain. As they bring in more and more students from around the globe, what happens to people who call New York home, especially those whose neighborhoods have been neglected until now? Do the locals enjoy access to university resources or facilities? Do the children get access to the schools? As of now, no.

I’ve yet to hear any stance of the university in regards to gentrification. If the trend towards the university as a business and education as commodity continue, I’d be hardpressed if a stand against the injustice is made. Extremely pessimistic but don’t worry, I will hold true to my belief that universities can’t be in a community but not of and for the community.

To be continued