There you go again, Courtland Milloy
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Anonymous
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In a column in today's Post, Courtland Milloy bemoans the rising rents and other economic changes in the 14th St area, while acknowledging that for decades the area was pretty barren after the destruction of the '68 riots, not to mention the former drug dealing and prostitution. At the end, he writes,
"But who you are more likely to see along this gilded avenue, clustered at many of the sidewalk cafes, are groups of young white people. A new gourmet magazine might cast the scene as a feast on 14th Street. But for those who have been priced out of the neighborhood, it might look more like white folks just gobbling up the last pieces of a Chocolate City." Certainly the economic impact of gentrification and the need for more affordable housing are worthy concerns. But if a modern-day major newspaper columnist had written a "there goes the neighborhood" racial lament over black or brown people moving into a once-white area, he would be shamed and shunned (and likely would lose his column). This is not the first time. Why is Milloy still at the Post? |
Anonymous
| He is paraphrasing the views of a segment of DC's population. He is not suggesting that this view is his. |
Anonymous
Really? I'm not totally unsympathetic to his viewpoint, but he's made it clear here and in past columns the contempt he has for white millennials and gentrifiers. He's definitely expressing his own opinion. |
Anonymous
It's not a contempt! It's a feeling of lose of many of the soulful feelings of the city. It's real. The city has changed, and it's not always for the better. The city used to be much more eclectic and caring. Not so much anymore. |
Anonymous
I'd argue that the 45/45/10 split between Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics/Asians is more diverse/eclectic than the 70/30 poor Black/rich White split of olden days. If you want a mix of races, income levels, political points of view, etc., come up to Frederick. |
Anonymous
I experienced some of that "much more eclectic and caring" feeling back in the late 80s/early 90s when I got mugged several times in DC. I'm glad that 14th St, downtown and other formerly high-crime areas are more vibrant and much safer than they were. |
Anonymous
As a.kid in the 80s I used to catch the bus on 14th to school. Lots of winos in doorways and the storefronts looked like they had been firebombed. In fact, I think they had been firebombed in the riots.. I am.all in for.mixed.income. Development,but honestly anything on 14th is an improvement. |
Anonymous
| I have only been in DC for 10 years (and am white and middle class) and I find the transformation of 14th street shocking too. It deserves comment. |
Anonymous
| His column was ridiculous and completely racist. Don't know how he's still employed. I'm all for building more affordable housing in DC. But the upshot of his column is that it's wrong for white people to move to that neighborhood. What?? |
Anonymous
| Milloy criticizes newcomers and changing demographics, as he pines away for his beloved lost "Chocolate City." But he long ago left Washington, DC and moved to PG County. |
Anonymous
ITA. I think his rhetoric has toned down over the years, but he is blatantly racist. IMO |
Anonymous
| Thank you, OP! He's definitely expressing his own opinions and often and he is definitely racist. But somehow it doesn't count. |
Anonymous
| Columnists want to get you riled up. |
Anonymous
Having a house racist on staff (and giving him a soapbox) reflects very poorly on the Post. |
Anonymous
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Am I understanding this correctly...that this is a lamentation over whites moving into an area that was for the most part considered a black neighborhood?
Cause if it is I am having a reverse flashback to a time in my youth I heard just the opposite. |