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By Kamau Austin
With heavy gentrification taking place in both Harlem, and even Central Brooklyn, can I make the argument, almost by default, that Southeast Queens is becoming the new epicenter of Black Culture in NYC? Don't laugh I'm serious.
Queens is a very diverse borough and I respect all cultures. However, In this article I give 8 reasons Southeast Queens is becoming like the default center of Black culture in NYC.
Although Harlem and Central Brooklyn have been traditionally considered the most celebrated and venerated areas in NYC for Black culture and even community empowerment these neighborhoods are becoming lighter in hue. Therefore, I feel Southeast Queens, is gradually becoming the default cultural center for Blacks in NYC? It has rich cultural history and may be the last bastion of empowering Black cultural ethos in the NYC area.
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| Kamau Austin |
However, will the traditional Black community in the area benefit from the cash infusions or will we be largely on the outside looking in like Blacks in Harlem and Central Brooklyn. Blacks in these neighborhoods are increasingly being reduced to hapless consumers and renters to outside interests. Even worst they are being displaced by housing with stratospheric rents.
With Harlem looking like the upper west side of Manhattan, and Brooklyn increasingly like Williamsburg or downtown Manhattan, this has even inspired tirades by successful celebrities like Spike Lee to cry foul with his infamous "Damn Hipsters" rant - these traditional cultural centers are being eroding in terms of Black cultural centrality.
Southeast Queens, has some distinguished cultural roots and historic accomplishments. According to the US Census and reported in a 2006 article by the New York Times, the Southeast Queens area is the 1st in the nation where Black family income was higher than whites. Here is a link to the article
With the heavy investment in LIC and it's gentrification I don't know if Blacks in Queens still have a higher income. However, Southeast Queens, was the 1st large county in the US where this was the case. Also many high income earning Blacks have moved from Southeast Queens further out on Long Island to Elmont, Uniondale, etc.
These are Long Island communities now considered some of the most upscale Black communities in the country. The average income of Black families in Elmont and Uniondale are more like $80,000 to $110,000 in contrast to the average Black household nationally at about $38,000.
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| We see increasing economic development near the St. Albans, LIRR Station |
Also last but not least there is another distinction with Southeast Queens. It is it is a microcosm of the diversity of Queens. According to Wikipedia, Queens, New York is the most ethnically diverse area in the world.
This by extension has developed into Southeast Queens also being a very diverse Black area as well. Black residents in Southeast Queens come from the southern US, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. I feel this diversity contributes to the strength and resilience of Southeast Queens and Jamaica NYC.
Here is a synopsis of 8 important reasons Southeast Queens is becoming the center of Black culture in NYC:
1. Historically The 1st large community where Black incomes surpassed whites in the surrounding area;
2. The Home of Jazz Luminaries like - Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Fats Waller, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Mercedes Ellington, and many more lived in the area at one time;
3. Civil Rights Icons, Politicans and Activists were residents - Colin Powell, Roy Wilkens, Guy Brewer, Sheila Lee Jackson, John "Watusi" Branch, to just name a few enriched the areas tradition;
4. Sports Legends lived in the Area - Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, Roy Campenella;
5. Hip Hop Culture leaders and Moguls - 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Nikki Minaj, and Ja Rules and many more lived in the area;
6. Top business leaders come from Queens - Russell Simmons, Daymond John (FUBU, Shark Tank), Rev. Dr. Floyd Flake, and Richard Parsons hail from the area:
7. Cross Cultural interaction between a diverse spectrum of Blacks with southern roots, and also from Jamaica, West Indies, Haiti, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America make the area ethnically diverse and strong;
8. Ground Breaking Church and Community Economic Development in the Area has helped with it's development..
This is a truly profound legacy to have in the Southeast Queens area. I hope it can go forward and develop into a great business and cultural hub in the NYC area. I think the area is destined for greatness if we strategically do so with a visionary and viable economic plan.
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Posted by community events coordinator, Nzinga Lonstein Austin, is a prolific blogger who writes on the entertainment industry and issues for people with developmental and physical challenges.She is presently in high school looking to have a career in video, film, and media. You can see more of her entertainment writing on Lonstein Movies.
About the Southeast Queens Scoop - is the premier website and only publication offering daily news and updates on the events, culture, issues, and is dedicated to the business and economic development in this largely black historic community.
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