Friday, March 29, 2024

AdvertiseDonateSubmit
NewsSportsArtsOpinionThe QuadPhotoVideoIllustrationsCartoonsGraphicsThe StackPRIMEEnterpriseInteractivesPodcastsBruinwalkClassifieds

Interactive discussion about Nipsey Hussle will highlight issue of gentrification

“Buy Back the Block: A Discussion About Nipsey Hussle and Gentrification in South L.A.” is organized by first-year experience coordinator Simone Jackson and takes place in Tom Bradley International Hall on Tuesday. The event aims to open up a conversation about the impact of Hussle’s activism on the Los Angeles community.

"Buy Back the Block: A Discussion About Nipsey Hussle and Gentrification in South L.A"

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Bradley International Hall

Free

By Natalie Brown

Feb. 24, 2020 10:19 p.m.

Correction: The original version of this caption incorrectly stated Simone Jackson is a first-year student. In fact, Jackson is a first-year experience coordinator.

This post was updated Feb. 26 at 11:54 p.m.

Rapper Nipsey Hussle’s legacy will be brought to life through an exploration of gentrification in South Central Los Angeles.

“Buy Back the Block: A Discussion About Nipsey Hussle and Gentrification in South L.A.,” a discussion taking place in Tom Bradley International Hall on Tuesday, opens up a conversation about the impact of Hussle’s activism on the Los Angeles community, said Simone Jackson, UCLA’s first-year experience coordinator. The event is in collaboration with the Department of African American Studies, and Jackson said it uses Hussle’s music and efforts in altruism to take a deeper look into the implications of gentrification. Falling close to a year after Hussle’s death, Jackson said the event helps to continue the conversation about gentrification the artist started years ago.

“The fact that (Hussle) unfortunately was killed doesn’t stop his work,” Jackson said. “But we should definitely highlight (Hussle’s work), especially during Black History Month.”

The phrase “buying back the block” describes purchasing properties in low-income areas to prevent more prosperous individuals from moving in and changing the demographic of the area, Jackson said.

As an advocate for this, Hussle bought many properties to create jobs in his own community, she said, preventing outside businesses and more affluent populations from taking over the space. His work made him a well-respected figure in South Central Los Angeles. Jackson said the event uses music, video and open discussion to fully grasp his contributions to the community.

“We listen to his music, we learn, we ask questions, we talk with one another,” Jackson said. “We’re really excited for this high-engagement format of the actual event.”

[Related: UCLA’s Common Experience chooses podcast that explores LA gentrification]

To continue opening up the conversation, the event also works to engage a college-age audience. Marcus Hunter, a professor in the Department of African American Studies who is facilitating the discussion, said it will incorporate different media, such as clips of Hussle’s music, to captivate and educate the audience.

Aided by author and activist Kevin Powell, Hunter said he hopes to facilitate a conversational space that allows people to have more of an interface with the black experience. The event will include a Q&A portion and incorporate Hussle’s music to provide a complete and diverse picture of the effects of gentrification, Hunter said.

“Buy Back the Block” is also poised to reflect on community and what Hussle means to culture and black history, Hunter said. The event will utilize an open conversation between the audience and presenters to nurture healing from the rapper’s untimely death and educate audiences on the black origins of South Central Los Angeles, he said.

“(This reflection) helps you have not only compassion for the residents, but also a deeper appreciation for the contributions they made to the city by living in those communities for so long,” he said.

[Related: New online maps documents Native American ancestral territory at Fowler]

Unfortunately, Hunter said disregard for these communities is all too common. Alexis Lewis-Semien, a graduate student assisting with the planning and organization of the discussion, said compassion for the residents in communities undergoing gentrification is necessary to help overcome it. With a gradual loss of community and the increasing cost of living due to gentrification, Lewis-Semien said long-time residents are now unable to remain in places they’ve called home for generations.

“Not only (do) they lose their home in a physical sense, but they lose the feeling of community as well,” Lewis-Semien said.

Though it is easy to be overwhelmed by these facts, Lewis-Semien said, “Buy Back the Block” will educate students and give them ways that they can begin to help combat it through awareness of the topic. Jackson said the event will encourage students to take action in any way they can – such as through communication and further researching the topic.

“Even though Nipsey Hussle is gone, the work that he has been doing is still very relevant today,” Jackson said. “We hope that this allows (attendees) to come together to find a passion they might enjoy and research more about (gentrification) and tell more people about it.”

Share this story:FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Natalie Brown
COMMENTS
Featured Classifieds
More classifieds »
Related Posts