Urban Arts MediaLab
Gentrifying the Ghetto: A Housing Director's Comments on Ghetto Talks
07 Jun 2010, 11:55 AM by Elizabeth Rodd
Story by Craig Wallace, Editor, and Joshua Davis, Producer, Ghetto Talks II
Last month, Anthony Davis, the father of Ghetto Talks II producer Joshua Davis, sat down with the Media Lab crew for an interview. Mr. Davis shared his insight about the word ghetto as well as his reaction to our original film. Our crew consisted of Nick Mendez as director, Joshua Davis as interviewer, and former Media Lab student Brittany Clough as guest producer.
Mr. Davis talked about his life growing up in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn and the role of gentrification in that section of the borough. For example, he told us that his grandmother’s house is now worth several times the price at which she purchased it.
Mr. Davis also talked about growing up and watching Good Times and The Cosby Show, programs that portrayed the average African-American family in a positive light. He feels that these days African-American families are portrayed in a more negative light on television.
Mr. Davis also argued that his son’s generation is changing how language is used. The new generation flips words that were once used to oppress people; words such as the N word are now used without any reservation to simply mean “hello” or “what’s up?”
Although there were many distractions and cuts during the filming, it was eye-opening to hear a parent’s perspective on the word.
More to come on how this interview will be integrated with Carmel Sanon's interview for our parent response piece.
- Parent Workshops at PS 48M
- Experimental Videos at MS 258 Community Action School
- Happy New Year and PS 40 has an I Teach I Learn
- PS 48Q's animation class
- Building Community through Public Art Making at MSAP
- IS 528 Holiday Share
- PS 90 Holiday Preparations
- Life Stories at Stick Fly
- PS 112 Holiday Share
- Winter Showcase at Brandeis High School
