When I first heard about the District 6 museum, I thought it sounded like some dystopian novel, where war had broken out and entire communities had been destroyed by the winning army. Well, I was right about entire communities, anyway
District 6 was located in the heart of CapeTown. Beginning in 1963, they began forcing out residents so they could give the lands to white people who wanted them. Entire neighborhoods of people were tossed out of the only homes they had ever known and were moved far away into new homes that were nowhere near friends, family or work. They were given enough time to pack a suitcase in some cases. Since these were the poor non-whites, nobody really considered their needs or the impact it would have on a thriving community.
Such a thing would never happen in the US, right? But it is happening in our own country, with the, prices of living in cities such as San Francisco and New York are cost prohibitive for the working poor. Gentrification can be great, but what about the people it dispossess? Switch the cuts in housing support for our own poor, many live in substandard housing and are just a housing court ruling of unlivable from being thrown out.
Everyone deserves to feel as safe as I do in my home, surrounded by a community like the Prairie Lane and Westside Community that cares for each other. I shouldn’t be one of a lucky few.
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