“As Long as there is Breath in my Body and Black on My Face”: Everyday Acts of Resistance to Gentrification in Buffalo, New York

Dr. J Coley, Syracuse University

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Johnson Center, Meeting Room B

In what ways have Black residents of gentrifying neighborhoods been displaced, dislocated, and/or isolated? How do residents respond to gentrification occurring in their neighborhoods? This presentation explores how Black homeowners and tenants engage in everyday acts of individual and collective resistance in response to gentrification and other forms of neighborhood change. Black low-income and working-class communities across the United States, that experienced cycles of disinvestment throughout the last century, are beginning to experience renewed investment and land speculation. Utilizing a theory of racial capitalism, this talk highlights the narratives of current and former residents of the Historically Black Fruit Belt District who are on the front lines of the struggle against development-induced displacement in Buffalo, New York.