International Researcher Wants To Interview Ditmas Park Residents About Gentrification

After spotting this sign at Newkirk and E. 16th Street, we were curious to find out more and emailed the listed address last week. A couple days ago, we got a response from Anita Mensah Bonsu, a journalism student from France who’s now living in the United Kingdom, and she told us she’s hoping to incorporate Ditmas Park residents’ voices into her project that is taking a look at gentrification across the globe, from New York City to London and Berlin.

To help with her project, named Burnt Generation, Anita told us she recently visited spots across New York City, including living in our neighborhood, and spent her time interviewing individuals about gentrification, conducting research at city libraries, attending community events, and more.

For two weeks, Anita lived on Newkirk Avenue. During that time, she would spend her days speaking to business owners; “analyzing the housing situation,” which included assessing how many developments are being constructed; interviewing neighbors; and touring the neighborhood with both new and longtime residents.

The trip was the first step in what she expects to be a long process, and she’s now hoping to continue her interviews with neighbors, which is why she posted the signs, like the one that we spotted above near Newkirk Avenue and E. 16th Street, around the area.

“Any more voices added to this global project would be highly appreciated,” wrote Anita, who also traveled to Detroit, Chicago and Atlanta to conduct research.

“I want Burnt Generation project to be a platform where locals are their own writers; they are the one revealing their stories,” Anita continued. “Why should they share it? Because the more we will highlight them and talk about it, the more awareness there will be to raise, and a strategy to fight gentrification will be developed. I find it pretty scary and dangerous the lack of information people have regarding gentrification.”

Soon, Anita expects to launch a blog about the project, which she said she expects will take years to finish — and which she launched in part to better contextualize her own experience.

“I’m a journalist student who worked two and three jobs just to be able to pay for rent, transportation and facilities,” she wrote to us. “This is why I decided to do a road trip in the USA, to acknowledge how gentrification is over there, especially in NYC.”

For more information, you can email Anita at burnt.generations@gmail.com.