Editor’s Note: The following Op-Ed was submitted by a concerned African American homeowner in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The views expressed are those of the author.
Submitted by Jon S. Bed-Stuy Homeowner
Why Renee Collymore’s Comments Resonated
When I watched Renee Collymore’s video (see her IG video at the bottom of this OpEd), I wasn’t shocked by what she said about DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), gentrification and race, and how they are all connected.
What surprised me was that she said it publicly.
To give this some context, for those who do not know Renee, she is one of the District Leaders from Fort Greene.
For years, I have heard homeowners, church members, small business owners, and longtime residents talk about many of these same issues behind closed doors. They talk about gentrification. They talk about displacement. They talk about race. They talk about feeling like strangers in neighborhoods they helped build. Most importantly, they talk about feeling like their concerns are often dismissed whenever those concerns don’t fit neatly into certain political narratives. And they talk about how the DSA is not to be trusted. These are real conversations that we have.
That is why Renee Collymore’s comments resonated with me.
When “Sell Your Home” Sounds Like Displacement
According to Collymore, “white liberals yelled that people should sell their homes.” She interpreted those comments as being directed toward Black homeowners and longtime residents. Some people may disagree with her interpretation, but as a Black homeowner in Brooklyn, I understood exactly why those comments struck a nerve.
When some people hear “sell your home,” they hear financial advice. When many longtime homeowners hear it, they hear something else.
They hear a suggestion that maybe their time in the neighborhood has passed. They hear the idea that someone else’s vision for the community matters more than the people who stayed when the neighborhood was struggling. They hear a message that sounds a lot like displacement, even if that word is never used.
As someone who has watched Brooklyn change dramatically over the years, I think it is impossible to separate conversations about gentrification from conversations about race and politics.
Many Black homeowners bought homes when these neighborhoods were not considered desirable. They stayed when crime was higher. They stayed when investment was lower. They paid taxes, maintained properties, supported local schools and churches, and helped hold communities together.
Now, in some cases, those same residents feel like they are being treated as obstacles to progress rather than people who helped create the very communities others now want to enjoy.
That frustration is real, whether people want to acknowledge it or not.
Why I Distrust the DSA
What also resonated with me was Collymore’s willingness to challenge the DSA. That may make some people uncomfortable, but it reflects conversations I hear regularly from homeowners and longtime residents across Brooklyn.
I want to be clear: not everyone who supports DSA is the same. Not every DSA-backed candidate is the same. And not every concern raised by homeowners automatically means those concerns are correct.
But I do believe there is a growing skepticism among some homeowners and residents about whether DSA-backed politics truly reflect their interests.
Part of that skepticism comes from watching what people do rather than simply listening to what they say.
The Samantha Johnson Example
One example that stood out to me was the challenge to Samantha Johnson’s petitions in the 57th Assembly District race. Samantha Johnson has spent years organizing in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill and advocating for youth and families. For years, many progressives have criticized ballot challenges and procedural tactics that keep candidates from appearing before voters. That is why I was surprised to learn that Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest challenged Johnson’s petitions. Supporters of Souffrant Forrest may view that as a legitimate part of the electoral process, and they have every right to make that argument. But as a homeowner watching from the outside, it raised questions for me about consistency. So the DSA candidate can do it but others can’t. It’s that type of trickery that opens up the distrust I have for the DSA. I know this because a friend of mine had a long talk with Samantha about it. This is public information that you can look up.
I have had similar reactions to other controversies involving progressive elected officials and candidates over the years. Whether it was debates involving local businesses, housing issues, campaign tactics, or neighborhood disputes, I have often come away with the impression that some of the loudest voices talking about equity are not always as interested in listening to homeowners as they are in speaking for them.
The Brad Lander Controversy
In another instance DSA’s Brad Lander, when he was in a position of power as the NYC Comptroller, was accused of hurting a successful small black business in East New York. It was so bad that community members, along with the East New York elected officials had to rally around the business. Lander is a guy who says out of his mouth that he supports MWBEs but his actions showed otherwise. That situation was crazy because at the time Lander was in a position of power. This leads to more distrust of DSA-backed people like Lander. This has nothing to do with the fact that he is running for Congress. I can care less, as long as he’s not running in my district. It goes to character and trust. Here’s the story I’m referencing, for those who might not know.
Campaign Tactics and Trust
I saw another DSA-backed candidate in Canarsie, Jibreel Jalloh, insinuating that his opponent Jaime Williams was a Republican. Looks like he has since changed his wording, because I guess he had to acknowledge that she is in fact a Democrat, and has been for the 8 or 9 years she’s been in the Assembly. Again, it’s that trickery and deceit that makes me distrust DSA. Honestly, I haven’t witnessed in any way how the DSA has helped my life since they’ve been around. Gentrification is at an all-time high, costs are out of control, but they all seem to be able to afford it. It’s mind-boggling. We live on the same earth but in different worlds.
In my honest, humble opinion I think Black people who back DSA really think there’s something in it for them. I ask them, how have you benefitted?
That perception may not be fair in every case. But perceptions matter in politics, and those perceptions help explain why comments like Collymore’s resonate with so many people, not just me.
The Missing Conversation About Black Homeownership
What concerns me most is that I rarely hear serious conversations about Black homeownership when housing policy is discussed. I even heard a black elected official say “I wish I could buy a house but I can’t afford it.” That statement right there tells me that she would only care if she owned a house. not understanding the importance of generational wealth
I hear conversations about affordability. I hear conversations about tenants. I hear conversations about development. All of those conversations are important.
What I hear far less often is a discussion about the role homeownership plays in preserving generational wealth for Black families.
For many families, a home is not simply a piece of property. It is the result of decades of sacrifice. It is something parents hope to leave to their children and grandchildren. It may be the single largest asset a family possesses.
When homeowners express concerns about policies they believe could undermine that wealth, they deserve to be heard, even if others disagree with them.
Too often, those concerns are dismissed as selfish or reactionary. I believe that is a mistake.
Brooklyn Needs This Conversation
The future of Brooklyn should not be determined solely by activists, politicians, developers, or newcomers. It should also be shaped by the people who invested their lives in these communities long before they became trendy. And those people should not be asked to leave or to sell their homes. That’s utterly disgraceful, but real.
That is why I appreciated Renee Collymore’s comments. Not because I necessarily agree with every word she said. Although I agree with mostly everything she said. Not because I expect everyone else to agree with her. But because she forced a conversation that many people would rather avoid.
The relationship between race, homeownership, gentrification, and DSA is complicated. It is uncomfortable. It does not fit neatly into campaign slogans or social media posts.
Yet it is one of the most important conversations happening in Brooklyn today.
Whether people agree with Renee Collymore or not, the questions she raised are not going away. As neighborhoods continue to change and housing continues to dominate local politics, more homeowners are asking who benefits, who gets heard, and who gets left out of the conversation.
Those are questions worth asking.
And they are questions Brooklyn should be willing to discuss openly. One thing I do know is I’m NOT selling my house, so don’t ask, not even as a “friend”.
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