Chocolate City

[gaaraisg]

U PPL MAKE ME SICK! UR LIKE PARASITES! ALL U WANT IS OUR MONEY AND LAND! U ARE THE SCUM SUCKIN PPL THAT COME HEAR AND BITCH AND MOAN ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD U LIVE, BUT THATS FINE UR JOB PAYS U WELL ENOUGH SO U CAN MOVE "SOMEWHERE BETTER". I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SOUTH EAST DC. THIS IS MY HOME, MY BACKYARD. NOT ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY CAN JUST UP AND MOVE LIKE U BLOODSUCKIN BUREAUCRATS! NOT NOT EVERY PERSON WHO LIVES POORLY HAS A POOR BEHAVIOR. GO BACK WHERE U COME FROM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PlacentaPudding]

A documentary about gentrification called "Chocolate City." I'm glad the title lets me know how backwards the thinking is in this "production," so I won't be watching it.

[Obannonify]

All you ever hear African Americans in DC say about DC is how much of a shithole it is; not having a vote, but when someone does put money into the neighborhood they're accused of gentrification. How do you improve a neighborhood without tearing down delapidated buildings that had been there for decades? In DC black politicians are in charge, so who does the black community have to thank? Oh yeah, they re-elect crackheads for their mayor and wonder why their city looks like it does.

[billdc31]

As a long time Southeast DC resident, not native, I too have seen the face of my neighborhood change. I personally don't have an issue with it. My neighborhood is MUCH safer than it was when I moved here 10 years ago. There was a time when I looked out my window and saw thugs and the police patroling as if it were a police state. Yes, my rent and now property taxes are way high, but I get alot more in return now. I can actually walk from the metro to home and not worry about getting robbed.

[opinionatorX]

Man! What is the world coming to??? Check out on youtube "Truth behind Hip Hop" Or G Craige Lewis. Talks about how satan is getting people to serve him indirectly through alot of music. Wake up! we are in the end times. Will all the drugs,sex, and violence most people listen to save them from fiery hell??? Change for God before it's to late! Jesus is Lord!

[wildcat506]

The part where the kids where double dutching they were at a school called Maya Angelou Public Charter School.(MAPCS)And I belive you can fix up the capital...We don't want DC to be ghetto. Yeah how you poor but you where sabioto,gucci or pucci,1,000 dollar shoes and stuff

[limeginger]

Who is the "we" of whom you speak? the irrational and apparently illiterate? ("Yeah how you poor but you where sabioto,gucci or pucci,1,000 dollar shoes and stuff")

[wildcat506]

well if I type something wrong thats all you had to say.You get tierd of every time you wake up you have to make sure you don't get hurt or something, and me and my friends had typed the message becase we all live in the same area. So before you come at me or start thinking I'm a racist bitch, ask before you start to call me irrational or illiterate. :)

[limeginger]

Tell me what area you're talking about? are you actually claiming to live in Washington DC? because I don't believe you wildcat506. What part of DC are you saying you "get tierd of every time you wake up you have to make sure you don't get hurt or something"? And who are the "we" you're speaking for as in: "We don't want DC to be ghetto"? what the heck are you talking about?

[lizard944]

Yes. We know that its "bad and evil" for a company to actually make a profit (unless it's a Black company) Then on top of that, Blacks are selling out other Blacks by feeding younger generations the BS line of; "You can't make it, so don't even bother trying." Just sit around whining and hopefully, someday, the Good Fairy Obama will drop a million dollars in your lap without you having to lift a finger to earn it.

[lizard944]

If it's anything like the improvements that we've spent millions on in the Black section of my town, those improvements should last about two months before everything gets trashed again.

[lizard944]

I don't know, but somehow the arguement of Blacks being so "poor," seems to fall flat when you're wearing $10,000 worth of gold jewelry such as the "poor Blacks" in this video...

[Bob2000system]

Nobody want the Capital to be a ghetto!

I hope they keep cleaning up the place, move the criminal types out of there, and make it a nice place for nice people.

It can become a civilized place again when more nice people move in an fix it up. I'm glad the ghettos are disappearing.

[limeginger]

racist fuck...just say what you mean you're glad the poor black people are disappearing. The ghettos taking the place of black neighborhood are self-centered self-righteous white people with money and disdain for others not like them, and these people moving people out are not necessarily "nice people."

[MaxMosley77]

Use your brain instead of getting defensive. The City is safer now and thats all that matters.

[limeginger]

No, that's not all that matters. You want safety over valuing human beings? how about a police state? you'll have all the safety you want! Safety by any means necessary is not desirable. Fortunately many white monied people using safe" to mean "white"--i.e., people who can't look their black neighbors in the eye or bother to say hi on the streets as they scurry past--are headed for foreclosure anyway and will boo hoo have to leave DC. Plus W is gone and those folks are less welcome than ever.

[MaxMosley77]

There is no police state. Its simply people with enough money to take a risk and invest in crime ridden areas.

Im sick of people justifying dangerous communities.

Guess what, almost all of the crime in DC is committed blacks. Its sad and its not right but thats the way it is.  These people buying property arent concerned with the hard working black man. Theyre concerned with the thug with his pants hanging off his ass whom you excuse because you cant let go of your pride.

[limeginger]

OK what does someone's pants have to do with anything? revealing only in terms of your own bias. Let's look more closely "most crime in DC committed by black people." Alternately of crimes committed by DC black people, 99% are POOR people. DC doesn't have a white underclass. Maine where I live does. Most crimes here committed by POOR people--who are white. The few black people here are immigrants or have money and hence commit few crimes. Parse out the elements of your argument before proceeding

[MaxMosley77]

Ahh.. now its not just about black folks but really about poor people. You started off by accusing someone above of being a racist because he wanted the criminals out. He didnt mention race, you did. So which is it?

[MaxMosley77]

Also.. these arent people that voted for W. These are progressive liberals who are more likely than anyone to get along with black folks.

You know whats funny. The worst thing these people could be accused of is buying and cleaning up a old piece of sh1t. Thats it!

[limeginger]

White liberals are almost as likely as W voters never to have lived in a mixed-class neighborhood. Often theyre as nervous, self-centered, insensitive about it. But some liberals know they should behave better so try to learn how to live with existing people, not mindlessly displace them. Buying up piece of shit isn't the issue. Same issue in rural areas where $people buy farmland, build mcmansion, then complain about realities of working farms as neighbors. The crux: respecting who's there now

[johnbourbon]

re: respecting who's there now...

why should a non-contributing class be entitled to glom onto real estate that they don't own, in perpetuity, for all eternity?

[limeginger]

hi johnbourbon...what does "non-contributing class" mean? do people get to hold title to real estate based on what you consider levels or degrees of "contribution"? Some kind of merit-based system where people are entitled to keep their real estate based on "contributions." That's a fascinating concept and I'd honestly love to hear more.

[johnbourbon]

actually, i think you hit the nail on the head. if it's the word "contribution" that's leaving feeling a little confused, maybe i can shed some light for you. if you like, we can substitute the word "contribution" with "gainful employment" and "regular tax payment". these are the contributions and the merit is real estate.

is there anything else i can hold your hand through?

[ArchNME]

@limeginger A lot of the "white" people moving into NE DC now are people of my generation who grew up in Montgomery and north PG, which is very racially diverse. The ones really living in racial isolation have been the people who live in the city.

Some people need to be "displaced" out of the city because they are just bums. I want to live downtown real estate with all the public transportation and amenities. I WORK to be able to afford that, if they can't do the same then fuck em.

[MaxMosley77]

After the 1968 riots... there were hundreds of abandoned buildings left either boarded up or housing squaters/crackheads for DECADES. The people you want out of DC bought these properties, cleaned them and actracted law abiding citizens. Youre making up this false scenario where these old rich Republicans are buying blocks and kicking black folks out. Its not just white folks who left DC in the past.. Law abiding black folks did as well. And guess what, theyre moving back as we speak.

[thefairfaxian]

@MaxMosley77 too bad the law abiding blacks are being treated the same as the ghetto blacks who ran down the neighborhoods by all of the non-blacks.

That's my #1 problem with gentrification in DC!

[ArchNME]

@thefairfaxian What are you talking about "being treated"? The only thing that's happening is rent's are going up, you do know that effects everybody regardless of race right? It's not like there is a white discount.

[PoliTapTV]

thanx 4 the send dMuMajor

[ibcoleman]

"Local people are being forced out as property prices soar" "This is my house; my city..."

Actually, most of the local people who owned their houses sold them for $400k more than they paid, and moved to PG county. This is thanks to the end of historical red-lining in the DC metropolitan area. Conversely, if you don't own your house, and rents go up, them's the breaks...

[watchinU2]

Looking forward to seeing this full story on Feb. 28th during "The Black Hand Side" 5th Annual Black History Month Film & Discussion Serious of Washington, DC!!!!

[exquisitethecoach]

it is getting pretty green and white around here in my chocolate city

[BBBloch]

A fantastic film that really illustrates what's been going on in DC for the past few years. Thanks for making it! Saw the premiere at Festival of Women's Film. Would love to know when and where it's playing next so I can invite my friends and family to see it.

[karolibus]

I really loved the short! good job!

[ld101]

looks ill!!! keep us posted

[EcuaLoc0]

I am really facisnated by this. Please tell me when the full documentary is released.