Even if we agree that DaCosta’s Candyman is a competent enough horror film of the slasher variety, we must still ask: what work does its story do? This essay contains spoilers for Candyman (1992) and Candyman (2021) "The pain, I can assure you, will be exquisite. As for our deaths, there is nothing to fear....
Tag: gentrification
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Gentrification Is Not A Myth, It Is Very Real Violence
Through a violent process imbued with white supremacy and capitalism, gentrification continues to wreak havoc upon Black neighborhoods across america. Close your eyes and do this exercise: Think of your favorite Black restaurant in your favorite Black neighborhood in your city. Think of what it’s surrounded by, who frequents it, how good it makes you...
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Gentrification: Rich Black People Pushing Out Poor Black Folks Won’t Solve Anything
Gentrification is, in fact, a structural and cultural phenomenon that specifically and disproportionately targets low-income Black communities. April 26 was the reopening of New York’s Webster Hall. It was also the night that rapper and businessman Jay-Z would freestyle lyrics that would later set social media ablaze. The concert was titled “B-Sides 2.” That night,...
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Starbucks Wasn’t Created for Black Folks, it Was Made to Push us Out
It’s important to discuss Philadelphia’s issues with gentrification when you talk about policing, Starbucks, and racism. By Asia Renée I love Starbucks. I’ve easily spent $1,000 in the last 10 years on peppermint mocha lattes, cookies, muffins, and breakfast sandwiches. Its emblem—the green, two-tailed mermaid on a cup—is a status symbol. In non-white, low-income neighborhoods,...
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Stop Calling the Police, It’s Killing Us
There are alternatives to contacting the police, and these alternatives can be more effective than getting law enforcement involved in situations that they are not specifically trained for. As an institution, the police perpetuate and uphold the violence of white supremacy and capitalism. The individual personality of police officers does not negate that fact that...
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Housing Crisis, Not Ravers, Is Responsible For the Oakland Fire
This artist collective is not to blame for the fire. Oakland’s housing crisis is. Update: According to a recent report in the Los Angeles Times, the death toll of this awful tragedy has now reached 36. Everyone has been anxiously searching for answers about the cause of the horrifying fire that broke out on Friday, December 2,...
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Compassion for the Homeless: We Need New Solutions
One day when my daughter was a baby, I was walking around San Francisco’s Westfield shopping center with her in a baby carrier when we passed a man dozing on the rim of a large potted plant. He was older, a bit disheveled, sitting in a wheelchair with his head resting on his arms like...
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Emmett Till 2.0: How Asking For A Woman’s Number In Oakland Can Land You In Jail
Images courtesy of Davey D @mrdaveyd, (left) & Ludwig Joanne. (right) Now that I’ve had ample time to process this flyer, I got two words for y’all. Well, honestly, I mouthed a few combinations of “F”, “A”, and “S” bombs, before I settled on just two words. But, I digress. Emmett. Till. Y’all know who that is, right? I’m...
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14 Ways Not To Act Like A Gentrfier (As Told by One)
It’s one of the first questions I get when meeting someone new. It’s an obvious fact of life I can’t hide from. Yes, that is in fact an accent you detect. No, I’m not from this country, and yes, I do live in Oakland. [highlight ]I’m A Brit.[/highlight] I say bloody hell as opposed to hella....
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The Capital-E Gentrification Experience In Oakland, California
Photo by Kai Schreiber. Visiting Oakland is, I imagine, very different from living there. I play at being a city resident, spending the night at my boyfriend’s place in the Dirty Thirties, becoming semi-familiar with the menu at Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe, and wondering about “gentrification”, a word that no one uses casually. I consider...