Steps towards Liberation for Low-Income Black Residents through Anti-racist and Counter-Racial Capitalist Community Development Practices

Abstract

Racial capitalism has historically and systematically disenfranchised Black residents in the United States of America. Racial capitalism perpetuates the racial wealth gap and continues to inhibit Black residents from accumulating wealth. I argue that the community development field must implement practices that address the disenfranchisement of Black residents by the systems of racial capitalism. This research aims to highlight community development processes and practices that counter the effects of racial capitalism on low-income Black residents. I conducted a case study on the City and County of San Francisco due to their anti-racist approach to housing and community development, specifically focusing on Black residents. The City and County of San Francisco explicitly acknowledged the historical and perpetual harm of systemic racism, mandated Racial Equity Action Plans, implemented anti-displacement legislation, and called for multiple forms of reparations. HOPE SF rehoused 76% of all original residents, and every department created a racial equity plan. The data demonstrates that Black households still comprise a disproportionate percentage of households affected by housing problems. Further study is needed to investigate the efficacy of the anti-racist and counter-capitalist initiatives.