U.S. News, June 18, 2020: Why Black People Are Being Displaced From Houston’s Third Ward
“The wall” has long served as a local memorial for fallen Third Ward residents – and now includes an oversize depiction of a solemn-looking Floyd against a blue background, his body appendaged with massive angel wings. “This is his home,” one man, a barber who declined to give his full name, told the Houston Chronicle.
But for years that home has been facing an identity crisis, as a wave of new development, spurred in part by the adjacent University of Houston’s recent growth, replaces older businesses and houses with new restaurants and expensive condos. A sprawling innovation district currently under construction nearby is expected to accelerate the trend. Third Ward residents, who on average remain far poorer than most Houstonians, are increasingly concerned about the impact on their tight-knit neighborhood – and about getting pushed out themselves: In a survey of more than 1,600 residents published in October, two-thirds said they were extremely worried about a local loss of African American culture, and nearly one-third said they were worried about being forced to relocate within the next year. Many already have.
