Wilmington's downtown was once extremely segregated, with certain neighborhoods almost exclusively Black, and others almost exclusively white. That's changing, as waves of white residents move into Black neighborhoods — but the inverse isn't happening to nearly the same degree. Black residents are losing ground, and under the current housing crisis, it's almost a zero-sum game. So what is causing this economic pressure? And what could be done to change it?
Listen to Part 1: The changing face of Wilmington's Northside, Pt. 1: A conversation about gentrification
Learn more:
- What is upzoning?
- Jenna Davis' research on upzoning and displacement
- Wilmington's Northside community dinners aim to bring residents together
- City of Wilmington resources for homeownership and home rehabilitation
- Data drop: Wilmington in top 12% of cities for rent increases in the country
- Wilmington-area renters are struggling to cover sharp rent increases
- The Newsroom Special Edition: The Northside Story - segregation, gentrification, and zoning in Wilmington (2021)
- The Newsroom: Wilmington's challenges, public-private projects, and the Northside Food Co-Op
Our sources for this story include:
- Dante Haywood, Cape Fear Collective
- Bill Rowe, NC Justice Center
- Cierra Washington, Northside Food Co-op
- Clayton Hammerski, Cape Fear Housing Coalition
- Liz Carbone, Cape Fear Housing Coalition
- Tim Joyner, Lowercase Leaders
- Brandon Cagle, Lowercase Leaders
- Cedric Harrison, WilmingtoNColor Tour
- Bill Saffo, Mayor of the City of Wilmington
- Jay Tatum, Brooklyn Arts Center
- Julius James, Brooklyn resident
- Evelyn Bryant, Blue Ribbon Commission (and many other organizations)
- Jenna Davis, Columbia University
Thank you to The Cato Institute for the use of their audio from the North Carolina housing summit. You can view the full summit here:
