The controversy about the Portland Development Commission’s
decision to sell property on the northwest corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Blvd and NE Alberta to an out of state developer opens up a ton of questions about
the economic future of Portland’s black citizens. The developers intend to
build a Trader Joe’s store on the location and the proposal has sparked
consternation from some community leaders and approval from others.
Until recently there has been no group or public agency
intentionally planning or focusing on the economic welfare of Portland’s black
community. The city of Portland and PDC have failed to demonstrate sustainable
efforts to improve the overall economic welfare of the black community in
Portland.
To say there is pent up resentment and anger in the black community
about the history of PDC’s treatment or mistreatment of investments in the
Northeast Portland black community is an understatement.
The black community has watched PDC coddle investments made in
the Pearl, favoring already well-established developers and residents
subsidized with federal dollars. PDC used the statically deplorable conditions
of blacks in northeast Portland to acquire federal dollars and proceeded to
transfer the benefits to areas like the Pearl and South Waterfront.
In contrast to well-heeled areas, they invented a series of token
programs in northeast Portland like the store front façade (store front
improvement) program. It is difficult to tie any of these programs to job
creation for the black community. The
Oregonian’s January 15th editorial “PDC Should Keep Jobs Focus” is a
tragic reminder that damaging policies that impact the white community are
catastrophic for the black community.
Just as catastrophic is PDC’s and traditional city officials’
proliferation and support of token black leaders. Instead of rewarding black
leaders based on the value proposition of improving conditions for a black
constituency, they reward the most articulate, crafty con-artist types. This
ferments confusion, mistrust, division and ultimately chaos, giving everybody
reason to avoid any serious attempt to align black economic interest with the
broader goals of PDC and the city.
For the black community it makes no difference whether it is pre
or post recession. The economic numbers are at the bottom. The black community
is eternally chasing solutions to what are symptoms of economic neglect. The
entire discussion about gentrification is a case in point.
There are signs that the Mayor and others at PDC are trying to
get this right, but the jury is still out. Hopefully they will not contribute
to a dysfunctional process and will hold all parties accountable for results.
James Posey is the chair of the Coalition of Black Men Economic
Development Committee and on the board of the National Association of Minority Contractors.
This article appears in 2014-01-31.