Zoom Report Back: Addressing "Opportunity Zones", "Riots", and "Peaceful" protests!

 

Building on previous zooms identifying and analyzing segregation in housing, we were able to see how “Opportunity Zones” and the ‘opportunity’ to avoid paying capital gains taxes are the “new segregation policies” that are designed to financially benefit whites while being severely detrimental to Black and brown communities.

“Opportunity Zones” also reinforce gentrification and make it easier for white people to ascend upon the targeted Black and brown neighborhoods, take them over, and ‘displace’ the original inhabitants. 

So we found out that tRump delineated and targeted these neighborhood “zones” with the accompanying forgiveness of capital gains taxes the first year of his reign, 2017. He made it possible for wealthy people with stock to sell their stock without the fear of having to pay their share of taxes providing they “invest” in these designated neighborhoods.

And what happens/ed when we exist under a racist society and do not examine and challenge that racism and racist structures and institutions, is first of all, white people were able to buy property cheaply, displace Black people, tear down their homes and build homes the existing neighbors could not afford to buy, let alone pay the increased property taxes on. 

In addition, white people bring in the kind of ritzy businesses – like coffee chains that charge over $5 for a cuppa – or other businesses that are not wanted and/or are financially out of reach of the original occupants.

Then those white people are enabled to make a profit on their new ‘ventures’ while displacing poor and Black people. 

This knowledge led to a further discussion about the obligation white gentrifiers, who may or may not be/have been aware of the intention of those in power to destroy Black communities while creating more and shoring up white communities. Some white womyn felt used, a pawn in the bigger picture, the “unintentional” participation in racism, but racism none-the-less. Suggestions for actions included: being mindful about reaching out to neighbors; acknowledging we are living in someone else’s community as we acknowledge we are living on someone else’s land; connect with fellow white gentrifiers and raise consciousness re:this un/intentional racism and share the commitment to acting as anti-racists; going to the property tax office and paying the property taxes of five of your long-term home owners; getting ‘new’ business owners to create a program of charging white gentrifiers increased prices while reducing prices 50% for original inhabitants by issuing “reparations” cards.

Another action is if we don’t happen to live or have moved to an “opportunity zone” is to research them and then implement the actions listed above. Here is the link for a map of such zones: 

https://opportunityzones.hud.gov/resources/map

We also continued to talk about “language” and how our language is both sexist and racist and part of our journey to anti-racism is dissecting language and eliminating both racism and sexism from our word choices.

In particular, we talked about defining BLM activists & protestors attempting to smash racism and bring justice to our country and communities as “rioters” or the action a “riot”. In addition, the demands of white people that a protest be “peaceful” – while equally being absent at police headquarters demanding the police be “peaceful”. How “peaceful” is code to white people that they are “safe”, it’s okay for them to join in the “peaceful” protest.