General Urban Cambridge Updates and Rumours

[danbrotherston]

You guys are missing context.

If the data shows that BIPOC individuals ... lets say...are arrested by police more often (because there is actually data on that, and not on being "accosted"), the important thing is the context of why that is, and who is causing it.

Specifically we know there is a history of bias in policing, a history of racism and economic disadvantage in our society. That is an important piece of context. Why is that? And who has benefitted...you can answer that yourself.

The same context can be put around the fact that older white people are the most common form of NIMBYs.

And not surprisingly, it is for a similar set of reasons.

Now I think it's also important to ask who has agency in both situations. BIPOC folks don't want to be arrested, but have little control over the bias in policing. NIMBYs similarly don't have direct control over the city's choice to prioritize their opinion, nor do they have control over the media's choice to feature their voice above the voice of those who are being excluded from neighbourhoods. (Although some would argue they have more power in these things than traditionally disadvantaged individuals).

But they DO have agency over what attitude they choose to have when discussing their neighbourhoods. They COULD choose to use their voice instead to stand up for those who would be excluded.

In any case, there's grey all over...but I don't think ignoring race entirely is a good solution either. Context matters.