We The People
We don't believe you 'cause we the people
I'll still be in the rear, yo, we don't need you
You ain't a killer nor good, young nigga, move
When we get hungry we eat the same fucking food
The ramen noodle
Your simple voodoo is so maniacal, reliable to pull a juju
The irony is that this bad bitch in my lap
She don't love me, she make bunnies, she gon' study that
She gon' give it to me, ain't gon' tell me run it back
She gon' take the brain or weather plain, she spit on that
The doors are signed with, don't try to rhyme with
VH1 has a show that you could waste your time with
Guilty pleasures take the edge off reality
And for a salary I'd probably do that shit sporadically
The OG Gucci wasn't spittin' with iguanas
The IRS piranha see a nigga gettin' commas
Niggas in the hood living in a fishbowl
Gentrify here, now it's not a shit hole
Trendsetter, I know, my shit's cold
I ain't said it yet because I ain't so bold but hey yo
We The People ~ A Tribe Called Quest
Gen·tri·fi·ca·tion
jentrəfəˈkāSH(ə)n/
noun
the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.
Take a moment to think about visiting a new city for the first time. Imagine when you drove into that beautiful neighborhood, or walked into that brand new strip mall, or purchased a ticket to see a game in that brand new multimillion dollar stadium. While admiring the beauty of the present, did you ever take the time to think about the beauty of its past? Did you stop and think about the people that used to live in there,. Did you?
Atlanta, GA is one of the most lively cities in the south because of it's deep culture and roots. Atlanta has created magic time after time and continues to do so. So when we had some free time to float around the city and shoot we were told about a great spot called Castleberry Hill that would be perfect for us. As we took this shoot I didn't even realize what was around the corner. All I could see was construction for the brand new multimillion dollar Mercedes Benz stadium. But little did I know that right around the corner were broken down and abandoned apartments. It was at that moment that I began to think about how this once probably majority black owned neighborhood will soon be the new mecca of wealth and luxury for everyone but those who once lived there.
Atlanta is one of many cities that is uprooting it's sunken neighborhoods and creating new ones on top of these once "Shit Holes" as A Tribe Called Quest so eloquently states. It amazes me how so many towns and areas that are now affluent and upper class were once feared to be traveled. As a child my parents would often tell me stories of streets that they lived on in Charleston, SC that are now bustling with tourists and the wealthy. These same streets that were once some of the nastiest and dangerous places to live, are now considered "The Places To Be".
Growing up as a child my father would constantly bombard me with new vocabulary words that I reluctantly shied away from. I specifically remember when I was 15 years old him teaching me the word "Cognizance". I can honestly remember for an entire 6-month period of him using the word like he was getting paid for it. "Ian you must be cognizant of your surroundings". "Ian you must remain cognizant of how you manage your time so that you can complete your chores and also your additional duties". I heard the word cognizant so much that I literally cringed when I heard him say it because I knew he was going to use it as another teaching moment that I probably didn't want to hear. However I thank him for teaching me that word because I want to present it to you all in these following questions.
Are we cognizant of the value of our communities? Are we cognizant of the impacts that our actions and the lack of input on our end have on our neighborhoods and youth? Are we cognizant of our actions and the consequences that they can present?
I'm not here to pose any arguments about gentrification. Because unfortunately with all good there is also bad. With the creation of new establishments, old establishments must be uprooted. It's a tale that this country knows all too well. I simply just want us to be cognizant of this. If these are truly our communities, and if "We The People" have any influence in them, can we find new ways to build beauty and increase the economic wealth of our neighborhoods without uprooting those who inhabit them already?
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