Documentary Review - Flag Wars (2003)

"Shot over a four-year period, Linda Goode Bryant and Laura Poitras Flag Wars is a poignant and very personal look at a community in Columbus, Ohio, undergoing gentrification. What happens when gay white homebuyers move into a working-class black neighborhood? As the new residents restore the beautiful but run-down homes, black homeowners must fight to hold onto their community and heritage. The inevitable clashes expose prejudice and self-interest on both sides, as well as the common dream to have a home to call your own." (PBS Site)

PBS Site of documentary: http://www.pbs.org/pov/flagwars/ (you can watch a trailer there and there are a lot of educational resources also).

Behind the Lens with Bryan and Poitras:http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6436779370575944013

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Flag Wars
• review
• documentary
• queer
• white
• poc
• straight
• columbus
• ohio
• Linda Goode Bryant
• Laura Poitras
• gentrification
• racism
• classism
• homophobia

[vidhead85]

Point blank (and I say this bluntly as a gay black man) The black residents wanted their neighborhood taken care of but not by whites. The professionals had their reasons for moving into the neighborhood but it wasn't about black and white and taking over. It was about socioeconomic status and the identity of this community seeimingly being challenged by this influx of white gays. Bottom line: If you want to make it better, YOU need to do it before someone else will

[brion614]

@MrMikeT89 the same area that you seen clips of is where many judges, lawyers, doctors, teachers, and ceo's live and has been for a long time. its on thing to bring up an area and kick every1 out to better the community, but what is a community without the "community". columbus is going through a lot of change including situations like this one.

[brion614]

@MrMikeT89 yes that is smart, but its taking away from what the main st area is all about. (main st. was the beginning for all black before columbus started to branch out to be so large) but seeing the way many generations afterwards changed the area in a bad way, reflicts on thoses who really maintain there space.

[brion614]

@MrMikeT89 im from columbus ohio and live close to the area that was doc. in the video. many of the people that try to get the houses from older/black people say that there going to help the community and build a rec center or housing for low income etc. but ends up rebuilding the home at a cheap price, and selling it at a larger amount once before.

[brion614]

@trannytrent so true

[ddsharper]

Thank you Mr. White Privilege.

[trannytrent]

also, because of the class privilege of the white queer folks trying to move into the area, they knew how to navigate the system and make it work for them. whereas the people of color who'd been living there for so long, didn't have that advantage, they could just choose to go by what they were being told and not necessarily be aware if they had further rights to utilize or not. there are other things in play too, but these are the ones that come to mind right now. hope that added a little bit

[trannytrent]

that's more than a valid understanding and very true for sure... however there is also an element of class privilege that goes with whether you even have to worry about that or not. with her health issues, she needed to prioritize what she could finance and take care of, for one thing. for another, if she were in a well-off neighborhood, the chances of her getting a visit from the city to be told what she could or could not have in her back yard are pretty minimal.

[trannytrent]

thanks for the recommendation. i have heard about that doc from various people, so i've been meaning to watch it also. thanks!

[Forlorn79]

I'm going to order that DVD now. I love documentaries, and this one will add a new element to my collection. Thank you for sharing!