It has been several decades since blacks marched through the streets singing, "We shall over come." Seemingly, we overcame almost everything, that is, that held us together as a people. Many Blacks prefer not to be associated with the slums or ghetto. In fact, many of our known, as well as our unknown, fallen soldiers protested and demonstrated to have the right to be a part of mainstream America. That was accomplished and yet some wait for embracement; for the most part this will never come.

Many feel we traded our oneness to be scattered throughout America like milkweed on a spring breeze. Many in the African American community will declare they are not from a ghetto or the slum area.

All that is fine and well enough, however, if people of African decent had their own economic base, perhaps we would not find ourselves at the whim of mainstream America. Instead of blacks fleeing and trying to get out, we should take stock in our own. For the most part, much we have done is too little and too late to stop gentrification. Much of white America no longer wishes to commute, so they are moving back into the urban areas.

The Downtown areas are being revived; live/work lofts seem to be a new lifestyle for whites. The rent is doubling, even tripling, and for some property owners the sky is the limit! What was once thought to be red line districts are now considered to be choice real estate investments.

This is the new method of whites in the urban areas. They once ran from us and now they are running to us, but to displace us from the urban areas. Whites are leaving the suburbs where they went and coming back into the cities. What a commute will do! []