Atlanta Amongst Many Cities Hit Hardest By Gentrification & Black Displacement

A recent report from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) highlights a concerning trend in Atlanta, where several historic Black neighborhoods have seen significant demographic shifts over the past few decades. The report, Displaced By Design: Fifty Years of Gentrification and Black Cultural Displacement in U.S. Cities, reveals that Atlanta has the second-highest number of neighborhoods that transitioned from majority-Black to majority-white between 1980 and 2020. This shift has led to the loss of approximately 22,000 Black residents, making Atlanta one of the hardest-hit metro areas in the country.

According to the report, the number of neighborhoods undergoing these transformations has surged nationally, from 246 in the 1970s to 1,807 in the 2010s. In Atlanta, neighborhoods like Old Fourth Ward, East Atlanta, Reynoldstown, Kirkwood, Edgewood, and Grant Park have been among the most affected. The Old Fourth Ward, once a hub for Black culture and community, has seen one of the most dramatic shifts. Following the opening of the Eastside Trail of the Beltline in 2012, the area experienced a sharp increase in its white population, driven by large new apartment complexes built on formerly vacant industrial land.

"Atlanta lost about 22,000 Black residents from 1980 to 2020," the report states, making it the fifth-highest loss among U.S. metro areas. This figure reflects a broader trend across the country, where an estimated 261,000 Black residents have been displaced from historically Black neighborhoods, with that number potentially reaching 500,000 when including all impacted areas.

Despite the narrative that these changes bring economic revitalization and increased property values, the NCRC's findings underscore the deep cultural and communal losses that come with such transformations. As these neighborhoods evolve, long-standing residents often find themselves priced out or pressured to leave, fundamentally altering the fabric of their communities.

Link: Fox5Atlanta