It was a dream come true for many who would never admit to harboring such a desire.
The number of blacks in New York City fell by more than 40,000 souls between the last Census (2000) and last year, according to a report in the New York Sun. Drops were registered in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, even as overall populations increased due to immigration from Latin America and Asia.
But before those who are stifling their glee plan any farewell parties (that, needless to say, would be secretive and would not include the departing honorees) consider an irrefutable fact: that Brooklyn remains by far one of the most heavily black populations in the United States of America.
One-third of its 2.5 million residents are of African descent and, short of a Northern-style Katrina or forced evacuation, it's going to remain pretty much like that for a long time.
Which brings us to the point at hand -- that the tremendous changes occuring in this great locality, this Borough of Kings, will have to take the black population into consideration, or risk a judgment that will be both political and moral.
As money pours into the construction of condominiums at a dizzying pace, and a transformation of Brooklyn takes shape, few politicians are paying serious attention to the plight of those residents who will be, and in fact are, seriously suffering from the changes.
Indeed, no one seems to be using the word gentrification anymore, as if it's been banned from the public discourse. But that is what is happening, a gentrification and a displacement; and the moral issue of thousands of Brooklynites being chased from their neighborhoods by soaring rents and foreclosures is not being adequately addressed.
This is why Brooklyn politicians who care about these issues need to step forward now and stake positions. Our next borough president -- the election is two years away but already names of candidates are being bandied about -- will be at the helm of the ship during a critical time in Brooklyn's history. And those would-be leaders who can sense the threatening clouds should be sounding an alarm now.
Many have been mentioned as interested in the job of borough president. Charles Barron (see archives) has thrown his hat in the ring. Also talked about have been: David Yassky (he of carpetbagger fame, who tried and failed to win an open congressional seat in a mostly black district); Bill Di Blasio (the tall guy with a seemingly strong social consciousness); Chris Owens, son of the former Congressman Major Owens, and others.
From what I seen so far, one elected official has especially stood out on these aforementioned issues -- of displacement and of foreclosures born of predatory loans -- and that's been State Senator Velmanette Montgomery.
Some have said they'd like to see her make a go at it. But will she toss her cap into the Kings County ring? Let's lean in her direction and listen. We've got a little time.
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