Zip Code Colonization

Counter-Narratives of Gentrification’s Traumatic Impact on Philadelphia’s Black Educational Communities

Abstract

An American’s residential zip code persists as intricately connected to one’s educational and life outcomes due to the continuous implementation of a web of discriminatory public policies. As the forces of gentrification continue to alter the racial landscape of many cities, long-time Black residents experience traumatic changes affecting which educational opportunities exist in their neighborhoods and for whom. In this study, we use collaborative autoethnographic (CAE) methods to interrogate the traumatic ways gentrification has influenced the lives of three Black Philadelphians – a community elder, a young adult activist, and a mother-scholar. These counter-narratives highlight the interrelationship between place, education, and trauma through the lens of Black spatial agency. Implications for resistance and place-making within a gentrifying society characterized by racial capitalism are provided for educators, policymakers, developers, and community residents.