The lucky ones : Blacks in East Austin turning profit from gentrification

Abstract

East Austin is no stranger to rapid and ever-present gentrification. In the last several decades, the east side has seen not only a change in infrastructure but has also suffered from a change in cultural diversity, as many of the area's long time minority residents are being systematically pushed out of the neighborhoods they have called home. East Austin’s black residents are among the most displaced in the area and many have been victim of financial limitations. However, some black locals have been able to profit from the gentrification on their own terms -- selling their homes, renting out their properties or building wealth by holding onto increasingly valuable land. This report features some of the lucky few who have been able to take advantage of the explosive real estate boom amidst the cultural unrest.