Does Context Matter: Economic Development and Black Displacement Brandi Blessett 2011 NASPAA Annual Conference Does Context Matter: Economic Development and Black Displacement

Revised NASPAA Standards Diversity is addressed in a variety of ways: Promote a climate of inclusiveness Recruit and retain diverse faculty and students Enhance educational experiences and cultural interactions of students Student outcomes Ability to communicate and interact with a changing workforce and citizenry

2010 Census Data Population changes Latinos - 16% African Americans - 13% Asians - 5% US Census reports by 2050, African Americans, Asians, and Latinos will make up 50% of the population Revised standards were released just at the latest 2010 Census numbers revealed drastic demographic changes Such changes should encourage the need for a more racially diverse faculty and student population, therefore it is imperative to emphasize the need to have culturally competent public administrators

Demonstrating Capacity Competencies indicate the necessary effort for a task or activity to be performed successfully (Daley, 2012). Minimum requirements for a job Identifies the essential skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKA) for effectiveness Encompass results Ultimately, cultural competencies would help students understand how race is used to frame discussions of participation, service delivery, accountability, and transparency Next, I will discuss three cases (e.g. Baltimore, Miami, and Cape Town)… from a historical point of view, these case studies reveal administrative actions and the subsequent outcomes that disproportionately burdened racial and ethnic minorities. These actions provide insightful lessons for public administration students to prevent similar types of injustices from reoccurring.

Environment Enabler Strategies Interstate Highway System of 1956 Housing Act of 1949 Accumulate land Route highways Use eminent domain Site public housing locations Racism Business expansion Secure profits Attract capital investments Displacement Neighborhood destruction Re-segregation New Deal Culture Urban Deterioration Blight Disinvestment Substandard housing Economic growth/ Business expansion Public investment Public- private partnerships Outcomes Housing Act of 1937 Within the American context, this is a conceptual model that represents urban redevelopment and its impact on African American mobility…essentially re-segregation. Each of these policies were implemented differently in each community, but ultimately the outcomes remained the same.

Baltimore, Maryland Phases of economic development Outcomes Public housing: push-pull Urban renewal: complete dispossession Outcomes >25,000 people displaced (90% African American) Reorganization of people and space In response to the need for more quality and affordable housing options, Public housing: contributed to voluntary movement to due its location….dictate where AA could live based on the site locations of public housing facilities for AA families -- help attract AA to more desired locations Urban renewal: completely leveled whole communities (e.g. both impoverished and stable AA communities) – consider the communal ties…while these neighborhoods were physically deteriorating, they were vibrant and maintained the core institutions for AAs

Miami, Florida Economic development Outcomes Public housing: push-pull Transportation: neighborhood destruction Outcomes >35,000 families displaced Fulfill racial desires ‘remove every Negro family from the city limits’

Cape Town, South Africa Apartheid system Public policies Outcomes Group Areas Act Removal, relocation, restricted movement, limited access to public facilities Outcomes >4 million people displaced Financially and psychologically damaging to families Racial hierarchy: Europeans, Coloured, Asians, and Africans I was just in Cape Town last year and visited the District Six museum.

Cultural Competencies Understand personal bias regarding racial and ethnic minorities Acknowledge the historical context of administrative actions with regard to minority populations Heather mentioned yesterday the ‘implicit association tests’ (e.g. institutional racism/discrimination) – FHA and HUD Citizen review boards (e.g. meaningful or symbolic) – Social, economic, and political capital

Competencies (cont’d) Recognize power and privilege relationships and its implications for underrepresented groups Value the experiences and contributions of racial and ethnic minorities Issues of transparency, accountability, and participation It doesn’t help that in Texas, the contributions of AA and Latinos have been taken out of the history books

Conclusions Creates awareness Provides real-world examples of past injustices Highlights the role of the administrator