According to PBS, gentrification is a general term for “the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values and changes in the district’s character and culture.”
Gentrification has been a problem that the United States has faced for centuries. Before it was called gentrification, it was deemed as colonization which can be seen with the European colonists and the Native Americans.
Unfortunately, gentrification has done nothing but become worse and more immanent in our society. It has also found its way to Daniel Island and Greenville, South Carolina. Daniel Island was an island that preserved the Gullah culture of South Carolina.
The Gullah people are African Americans who have created their own dialect and culture and have settled down in coastal South Carolina areas like Beaufort, Charleston, and Daniel Island. Daniel Island was once home to the rich and lively Gullah culture but has slowly been gentrified over the years. The population of Daniel Island is now ninety percent white individuals, according to Charleston newspaper The Post and Courier. The median income of these families is $101,771 a year.
With these families moving in, it has caused the cost of living to rise, which in turn has displaced individuals of color, and has caused Gullah people to move to more affordable places. “This is just the result of half of a 30-year development plan.” writes the author of the Xenocrypt — a local record-keeping organization in Charleston, South Carolina. Daniel Island has fallen victim to extreme gentrification, but places like Greenville, South Carolina have chosen to fight back.
Greenville, South Carolina has areas that were once primarily occupied by minorities, but they are now facing a new front of gentrification. The population of residents of color has dropped by eight percent and has been projected to slowly decline over time.
City Councilwoman Lilian Fleming is encouraging non-white residents to start buying the homes that they are living in in order to preserve the history and culture of Greenville. She has partnered with local ministries, and she and others are trying to dip into the American Rescue funds in order to help these minorities purchase their homes. They have also begun efforts to start classes that will teach minorities how to buy their homes and the steps it takes to become a property owner. Gentrification is a serious problem in areas around the country but it can be combated with education, and standing together as a community.
