Starve Harlem to Save It?

A Harlem minister is leading a bizarre boycott of businesses in his neighborhood with the goal of forcing stores out of Harlem to ease rising rent pressure. Rev. James Manning heads Atlah Ministries on West 123rd St. and believes that if money stops flowing to Harlem stores, they will go out of business and rents in the neighborhood will decrease. This actually makes sense to us in that yes, a self-imposed economic blight, with rows of vacant storefronts, would probably lead to lower property values. Still, it doesn't seem like the best or even sensible idea. Nonetheless, Reverend Manning is committed to encouraging Harlemites to travel outside of a zone between 110th and 155th Streets to do their shopping until May 2010 or until Harlem is an affordable economic wasteland.

A spokesperson for Councilwoman Inez Dickens, who represents Harlem, said that while they respected Rev. Manning, they didn't think a boycott of area businesses would be helpful to residents. AM New York asked around the neighborhood and found few who'd heard of the boycott, but when told about it some people seemed receptive to the idea. The booklet explaining the boycott and including a list of targeted businesses in Harlem can be read here (pdf file). It's certainly interesting.

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By Dave Hogarty in News on June 1, 2007 1:05 PM

Comments [rss]

cucarachita

Oh, and by the way, although this guy is saying he's for blacks, I don't think it's a black/white thing at the heart of it. (Read what he says about blacks with evil hearts). I think it's a total class thing. So we don't have to lower ourselves to the level of racist remarks here, do we? Honestly, sometimes I really wonder about some of the commenters here! Where do you come from, the racist ones? I really feel shocked sometimes. I mean, I admit to basic human vileness on a bad day, but not every day!

cucarachita

I live in that drought zone, and I kind of see where the old nutball is coming from. I'd be tempted to try it, except that I have half a brain and realize that the only people who could afford to use FreshDirect, and other online delivery services are the very people he's hoping to flush out. The rest would be dragging their groceries and shopping in from out of the zone, unable to afford delivery. As if they didn't already have a hard enough life?

No, there are other, much more subversive ways of doing things. In my neighborhood (West Harlem), we managed to get a Starbucks closed, and instead we now have our upscale café owned and run by people from this neighborhood, employing people from this neighborhood, and serving people from this neighborhood (besides the annoying gentrifiers). They're upscale only in that they're clean, attractive, modern places, but not upscale in their prices (except for their silly Odwalla fridge). An espesso only costs a dollar, for example.

That is the kind of improvement/gentrification I like to see. Unfortunately, since nobody owns their apartments in this part of town, those who are not rent-stabilized will suffer. And by those who are not rent-stabilized, I mean me. I pay a pretty fair rent, but will soon be priced out.

I'm just trying to stay long enough to enjoy the relative safety and civic pleasantness that took so long to arrive (when I moved here, I had to call the cops every day about the crackheads in our building, and step over passed out drunks, and avoid total crazies). I'd just like to soak it all in for a year before I start all over again!

Elderta

Right, Stan... I sounded mad and made a fool of myself? Well, I guess I would rather be 'mad' than a mad fool like yourself.

Berry

Yeah, lets do like #50 the Harlem resident said so that even Harlem can become like the rest of NYC and white men can spit on blacks and call them names when they go outside of their own neighborhood. Oh wait, the blacks won't have a neighborhood to go outside of. Hmmm, let's think on this one.

Blah

Here's the plan: Clear out Staten Island and offer it to whichever blacks want to move in. Prohibit anyone else from applying but blacks and let them run it via whatever political process they devise and call it a protectorate of the US. On the island, it's their way or the highway. Fund the hell out of it. Fix it up so that all the infrastructure is top-notch -- good transpo, social services, ample grocery stores, etc. Set up a system that ensures a living wage for everyone on the island. Create a couple universities on the island with top-notch professors (I am sure many would apply) and a few hospitals. Essentially provide every advantage and opportunity imaginable.

Then stand back and watch it go to shit anyway.

mb

Great example of a "Dr" (ie. PhD) vs. a "Dr" (i.e. MD). Obviously this guy knows jack shit about science (based on his understanding of pork and carrots) and his "knowledge" is based on an interpretation of a 2000 year old myth. Harlem, do yourselves a favor and tell this hustler to go shit in his hat.

jrez

exactly. "People always ask me how an economy in my neighborhood can exist if we boycott all the stores, and the answer is simple: Volume."

mike

One word sums this up: GARBAGE. I couldn't even make it past the second page. It would make an excellent Saturday Night Live skit.

Harlem resident

This idea is ridiculous and the more time we spend discussing it, the more credence we give it. Let's ignore it like I do when black people yell racist remarks to me in the ever increasing gentrified area of West Harlem. If we ignore this man and this idea, people will never know it existed.

JAS

I find the article in the times that Blacks are leaving the city because the places they migrate to have lower crime rates hilarious cause as soon as the blacks move there the crime rate has risen. Black people want the businesses out of harlem cause if the neighborhood becomes gentrified then blacks can't live there. I think in ten years NYC will be completely gentrified and no blacks will live here cause they would have to take a bus an hour to manhattan to rob people

what?!

what a fucking moron! where did this idiot get the phd next to his name? stupid ass u?? wow!

Stan LS

Aw, don't be mad cause you made a fool of yourself. Enjoy the weather!

Elderta

used... ;)

and have a great weekend all...

Elderta

uh... the period goes inside the quote marks... shoulda use Chicago... have a great weekend, Stan.

Frog

It's easy to be ludicrous when you can just blame whitey if the plan fails.

Stan LS

It's "hanger". Should've reached for the dictionary.

Stan LS

I can manage my own time. But thanks!

stan's mother

Should have reached for the hangar when I had the chance.

Aristocrat

It's not so old that you're not doing it, Stan. Seriously, the fact that you're constantly revisiting comments to eagerly rebutt all oncomers is pretty pathetic. It's Friday, it's nice out, you're clearly not working very hard, so just get outside.