Welcome to my monthly newsletter for November of 2023. If this is your first time here, I’m Kristen Jeffers, a Greensboro, NC-born, Southwest Washington, DC resident who is proudly Black, queer, feminist, chronically ill and an urbanist. For over 13 years I’ve brought my expertise in media, urban planning, nonprofit management, and being a decent human in urban areas to the internet, as well as in real life to universities, professional organizations, social service organizations, and community groups for over a decade and a half.
If you’ve been here before, you know that I usually chock these emails full of information. However, this week, I have a very big announcement and less information, but I’ll be back on my birthday, December 14, with more details and a proper pre-order link for my next book (register for our launch webinar) as well as my annual urbanism wish list. I’ll still be including a few things I want to make sure you pay attention to, but after a check to make sure you’re subscribed, a story and reflection on how I defy gentrification.
Storytime
When I wake up in the morning and look outside of my window at a multi-million dollar condo building, with a slither of the waterfront we face reflecting upon both of our buildings, I feel what it feels like to defy gentrification.
When I walk down on the sidewalk in the middle of the morning, fresh off of editing a batch of Breakfast Links, and head to District Doughnuts to get some actual breakfast, in my I Am a Black Urbanist sweatshirt, I feel what it feels like to defy gentrification.
Oh and let me not forget this moment of defiance. When I went to the Wharf CVS and bought the only Black Mrs. Claus and put her in our window, since we’re one, supposedly scarring some of the neighbors with our bodies (ok, maybe not us, but we did get an email telling us to close our windows even though that building has window walls around every unit), and two, we can’t hang signs. She is holding some greenery that lights up, but when people look in, they see her, with the judgiest of looks, asking them to reconsider what’s possible, not just for urbanism, but for life.
But in all of this bougieness, the reality sets in. I’m one of the estimated 82,000 housing insecure people named in this recent Urban Institute study, on housing insecurity in the District.
Let me say right now that Les is doing great. She is not struggling. She is thriving. However, if I stop getting paid, then she is struggling, because we are a unit. This is my first year making over $40,000 pre-tax. Yes, ever. And yes, I checked my Social Security records.
Because of those facts, many of y’all think that the way I should be defying gentrification is to do one of the following:
— Get a minority supplier certification, so I can be a sub (and only a sub) contractor on a project plan that may never come to fruition, leaving more people without transit and homeless, TODAY, when the rent is due and the sheriff is sitting outside of the door and the job requires you to clock in with your fingers at 8:00 am sharp, even though your bus was a ghost after all.
— Forget about said people because the Lord has blessed me to be in this home, and to be in rooms with high people, so I should close the door behind me. Note, if I had done this, you wouldn’t even know the names of some of your favorite urbanists!
— Speaking of those urbanists, we should all stop wasting time on calling out and dismantling food insecurity, homelessness, public health crises, colonialism, and warmongering, because urbanism is just transportation, luxury apartments, and fancy stores, hotels, and restaurants in mixed-use configurations.
Yeah, none of this in the least is defying gentrification. And by the way, gentrification shouldn’t exist.
And finally, after 13 years of writing through my defiance, I’m ready to share my playbook, specifically for Black women, nonbinary, and LGBTQ folks, with something for everyone who wants to ensure that nobody on this Earth is left behind and constantly fighting against the eradication of their homes and communities.
It also has wisdom for those of you who we need to help us defy and eradicate gentrification because this is a team effort.
So, this isn’t exactly the full-sized memoir-manifesto, that’s still coming. However, I’m ready to talk and train folks through these thoughts and issues. This will help me to build a more comprehensive memoir manifesto, with real examples besides myself, of how we defy and eradicate gentrification so that everyone gets a chance to live where they want to live, how they want to live, but we honor the one Earth we have.
Also, you will notice that this email is open to everyone and it’s also on LinkedIn and Medium as well. I realize that those platforms are key places where I can provide a virutal “front porch” experience to people, while I work on inviting them into the house that is what will become the K. Jeffers Center for Black Queer Feminist Accessible Urbanism.
In the meantime, add our pre-order launch webinar on December 14th at 2 pm Eastern to your calendar. Don’t worry if you aren’t live for this one, it will be recorded and there will be more webinars on the “front porch” so you can see if my new training and mentorship offerings are the right fit for you.
If you already know you want to partner with me to bring this material to your school, job, house of faith, organization, or family, go ahead and reply to this message or email me kristen@theblackurbanist.com, so we can set up bulk orders. Bookstores, likewise, this workbook will have an ISBN and that information will be released on December 14.
Before You Go
— Check out what my playlist looks like for real and what Apple thinks my playlist looks like this year. And Spotify got my musical city right.
— I am in full support of ending imperialism and warmongering worldwide. Follow the stories of my Instagram accountwhere I regularly amplify people across the globe with the same pursuit. Also, I want to specifically amplify APA New York DivComm’s statement on Palestine, Black Feminist Future’s panel on Black feminist solidarities across the countries in the most crisis at the moment, and YK Hong’s Instagram and work on ending all empires and tech justice.
— Another dope Black DC entrepreneur defying gentrification in her own way, with coffee!
— I’ve restocked my merch shop. I’m especially excited about my new stickers and of course my hoodies!
—Finally, you should get my business mentor Arlan Hamilton’s book, also in pre-order and releasing on January 2.
Until next time,