Gentrifiers and Black Lives Matter yard signs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey white people- we don't really want you living in our midst and "improving" things for us.

Signed,

Black People

I agree with the part about "improving". However, I will live where I want. It's up to you to improve your life. Not everyone had a great background, parents, upbringing but in this country you can do very well.

[Anonymous]

What I don't understand about these signs is when do you remove them? They are not like an election or referendum sign.

Many of my neighbors have them, I live in an upper middle class area with top schools and few minorities. I like where I live, it's clean, it's safe, it feels comfortable to me.

My neighbors who have these signs clearly like where they live and like the people who they live amongst too. They have the means to move to a more diverse area and yet here they are with their yard signs. The whole thing seems disingenuous to me.

[Anonymous]

This whole thing just sounds so strange. I don't recall ever seeing a sign in someones yard besides a "For Sale" sign.

And loving a neigborhood because you live near black people or poor people is just weird. If you want to really embrace these things, move to Detroit.

Black/Hispanic/Asian people are not aliens, they are people just like you and me.

[Anonymous]

I am Asian-American and I have a ton of white friends who are super into being "allies" but from what I can see, they all live in white neighborhoods and are trying to get their kids into a charter Montessori school because the "method" is so much better than regular public schools. It seems from my perspective that these people are more into their identity of being an ally and not part of what they consider the norm. But in my experience, being part of the norm is where you get diversity in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Why is nobody questioning BLM affiliation of OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a yard sign means nothing and scream white liberal who wants to prove who great I am.

Live your life and make your actions speak.

Recognize white privilege, speak up for those who are marginalized. Your neighbors don't need to know how great you are because that should not be th end goal - having neighbors who pat you on the back for being so liberal.

+ 100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is nobody questioning BLM affiliation of OP?

She ain't giving money, she ain't giving time, she just wants a damn yard sign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am Asian-American and I have a ton of white friends who are super into being "allies" but from what I can see, they all live in white neighborhoods and are trying to get their kids into a charter Montessori school because the "method" is so much better than regular public schools. It seems from my perspective that these people are more into their identity of being an ally and not part of what they consider the norm. But in my experience, being part of the norm is where you get diversity in the first place.

word salad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I don't understand about these signs is when do you remove them? They are not like an election or referendum sign.

Many of my neighbors have them, I live in an upper middle class area with top schools and few minorities. I like where I live, it's clean, it's safe, it feels comfortable to me.

My neighbors who have these signs clearly like where they live and like the people who they live amongst too. They have the means to move to a more diverse area and yet here they are with their yard signs. The whole thing seems disingenuous to me.

White guilt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This whole thing just sounds so strange. I don't recall ever seeing a sign in someones yard besides a "For Sale" sign.

Really? I see "Save the trail" and "Save Westbard" in MoCo. "fully fund our schools" and "Save the waterfront" in Alexandria, "Save the parks" in Arlington, "Fund Montessori at Logan" (or whatever) in DC, as well as DC statehood, etc. I see political signs all over the region, quite apart from candidate signs in election season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am Asian-American and I have a ton of white friends who are super into being "allies" but from what I can see, they all live in white neighborhoods and are trying to get their kids into a charter Montessori school because the "method" is so much better than regular public schools. It seems from my perspective that these people are more into their identity of being an ally and not part of what they consider the norm. But in my experience, being part of the norm is where you get diversity in the first place.

Just FYI, when we lived in Fairfax my wife was interested in Montessori for our kid, though we never pulled the trigger. There are lots of people who live the "method".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey white people- we don't really want you living in our midst and "improving" things for us.

Signed,

Black People

I am pretty sure not all black people support segregation.

I have black neighbor across the hallway from me in a hi rise in Alexandria. Apparently they do not have a problem living next to white people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I don't understand about these signs is when do you remove them? They are not like an election or referendum sign.

Many of my neighbors have them, I live in an upper middle class area with top schools and few minorities. I like where I live, it's clean, it's safe, it feels comfortable to me.

My neighbors who have these signs clearly like where they live and like the people who they live amongst too. They have the means to move to a more diverse area and yet here they are with their yard signs. The whole thing seems disingenuous to me.

I'm having trouble following your logic to its concluding sentence. Would "White people concerned about black lives should go live in a black neighborhood" fit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This whole thing just sounds so strange. I don't recall ever seeing a sign in someones yard besides a "For Sale" sign.

And loving a neigborhood because you live near black people or poor people is just weird. If you want to really embrace these things, move to Detroit.

Black/Hispanic/Asian people are not aliens, they are people just like you and me.

I'm guessing you don't live in DC.

I commented earlier, but my upper middle class NW DC neighborhood (homes sell for $800K and up) is probably ~60% minority. And many white neighbors have put up yard and window signs like "Resist" "Black Lives Matter" "Women's Rights are Human Rights" "Defend Planned Parenthood" etc. since the election. Someone on the neighborhood listserv recently stated that over 40 of the signs that say "We're glad you're our neighbor" in English, Spanish, and Arabic were ordered recently, and those are all over the neighborhood, too. This is a very liberal neighborhood, similar to most of DC (something like 93% of voters voted for HRC in the election--and I'm assuming many of the remainder voted for Bernie!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you need a sign on your front lawn to support a cause? More effective would be to volunteer or DO something rather than a shallow sign of status.

I agree that only having a yard sign is not enough. But I don't think that OP is suggesting that having a yard sign is her only form of activism.

Having a yard sign or bumper sticker or button or whatever is a very easy, very cheap, very small thing. But, I don't think it's harmful.

Actually, OP said exactly that. She admitted that her only form of activism is her "social worker" job and she can't do much more than that. So, yeah, basically OP just wants to put a sign on her lawn (and still send her kid to LAMB). Just another hypocrite.

OP again - not a social worker, but close enough. Assuming LAMB is the go-to charter for gentrifiers, then no I wouldn't want a LAMB due to demographics if there was a better or equal but more convenient charter, even if it was overwhelmingly black/not "like us".

Absolutely admit that I'm not getting a babysitter for an event that happens after bedtime or taking a wild toddler to a serious daytime event. I did a lot more activist work before kids and plan/hope/intend to get my kid(s) involved when they are old enough to actually participate and not be distractions. My mom drug me to a million rallies, letter writing events, and volunteer opportunities as a kid, and I fully intend to do the same. That said, does that mean I should wait to put up a sign until I can actually get involved again? Also welcome any suggestions for how to be involved with small kids!

NP: I don't know what LAMB charter school has to do with anything, except maybe for the fact that it is high performing and majority minority. Let's leave children out of this.