DIVERSITY
ABRIDGED
by Zoe Mendelson | @youngzokeziah
If you’re not sick of the word “diversity,” you’re
not listening hard enough. “Diversity” results from
structurally-produced inequality, yet maintains the
utmost positive connotation. “Diversity,” seen as an
asset of urban life and glorified as the rainbow-family
realization of Dr. King’s dream, draws people to the
city as a selling point for real estate, which fuels
the economic engine of the gentrification process.
It thus threatens the very existence of “diversity” in
urban space and becomes an escape route from
acknowledging inequality.
Let’s use the Wilson Yard development in Uptown as a
case study. Here’s what you need to know:
1. Uptown is hailed as Chicago’s most diverse
neighborhood;
2. Uptown has been gentrifying for decades;
3. Uptown’s ٕ