Ashely Simms is fifteen years old. Besides going to school and being a co-parent to her younger siblings Ashely does ballet. Deep down she doesn't see ballet as her thing, but it keeps her out of trouble. Life for Ashely is the usual for a person of her race.
Born and raised in Harlem's Isaacs Houses Ashely was often told what use to be of the place she and her family call home.
Once upon a time Harlem was considered the epicenter of all black life. Great names such as Langton Hughes, Marcus Garvey, James Baldwin, and even Malcolm X have been brought up or made a name for themselves in this neighborhood. Fast-forward to current day and you have a lost group of men and women who don't know the knowledge of self, not knowing their history as a people, making them walking zombies (as we know them to be today). This story is usually told by Ashely's elder's (including her deceased grandparents).
Since her very existence Ashely had to deal with the cruel wave of cultural cleansing simply known as gentrification. Major inner-cities in the United States are not the only places going through this. Places like London and Berlin are going through some of the harsh phrases of gentrification as well. Harlem was never the safest, but why in my backyard? Ashely once thought to herself.
Getting up one particular morning Ashely takes the shade off her window and opens it. As if she was praying Ashely goes on her knees. Looking out the window to a pursing rising sun Ashely yells out a phrase she would use for the first time in her life (independently). Why us? Why? Why? Why? Why? She cried to the shy.
Peter Hemmitt is eighteen years old. Besides filling in for two absent fathers (three including his own) Peter likes Rock music and Astronomy. As a senior attending Frederick Douglass Academy High School Peter has dreams of working for NASA someday. His first name became somewhat annoying, so he started calling himself Pete. It was a family name that one of his deceased uncle's called him by.
Born and raised in the Samuel J. Tiden Houses within Brooklyn's own Brownsville neighborhood Pete has been living in a nightmare, dreaming of the heavens above him.
Nearly a grown man Pete doesn't care how much he stands out like a sore thumb. Where comes from the dope boys the Rockstar's, flashing their latest gear and cars. As most Brooklynites and New Yorkers at large know Brownsville was never the safest place to live or do anything in. A $1.4 billion dollar plan by Governor Cuomo sounds like a excellent idea to help improve the lives of the Brownsville residents doesn't it? A sour-fishy smell comes out of this. If your wondering this forbidden smell is called gentrification.
Pete has been seeing a change in his community for a while now. To keep it 100 he has gotten use to it at this point in his life. hearing old stories from his elder's ( most of the being deceased) about what things use to be like when they first arrived from the South. We all should know the story at this point. Men were real men. The women were a lot more classy than they are today. Everybody looked out for each other. Whenever somebody had a beef with another person it was squashed in a peaceful manner (most of the time). That whole nine yards.
One day after he was done with his five classes Pete was walking home. Feeling his stomach growl Pete looks for a place to buy some food. Walking towards the block he usually buys his bacon, egg, and cheese Pete notices something strange. At the end of this block there is a Chipotle replacing an old pizza shop.
Frustrated and confused Pete looks to the sky and yells a word he knows far too well, why? Why us? Why? Why? Why? Why?
At this very moment the borough that birthed me is going through this same relentless cruelty. By the look of things The Grand Concourse is getting hit first, even given a name called "SoBro." Ironically, this makes us Bronxites the last to be gentrified. That's right the Bronx is going out strong indeed. The last of a dying breed.
I don't get on my knees or look to the sky and ask why? All I ever do is think to myself and ask How?
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