By Michael “Quess?” Moore
One of the least considered, yet most divisive aspects of gentrification is the way it splits communities and pits folks against each other. Quite often this rift results from the mad scramble for dwindling resources in communities under siege by hyper capitalist agendas. Here in New Orleans, we’ve watched public housing transition to “mixed income” housing as the black middle class and a mostly black City Council looked on apathetically displacing their own people. We’ve watched the education system sold off to the highest bidder in the mad rush to privatize schools into charters. And amidst it all, we’ve watched our community institutions get sold from under our feet while we looked on seemingly unable to do anything about it.
The Craige Cultural Center at 1800 Newton St. on the Westbank is one such institution. For 43 years, the community center has served as a hub for black folks on the Westbank (and beyond) to receive community services ranging from chiropractic treatment (the founder was a doctor), to job training (i.e. IT training), to GED Prep, to cultural education events featuring renowned African scholars like Anthony Browder and Professor James Smalls as well as several renowned locals poets, singers, rappers and artists. Founded by Thomas Craige and Loyce V. Craige in 1974, the center has been managed by their two sons Vince and Todd for the last 14 years.
On July 26, 2018, the center was sold behind the owners’ backs in a sheriff sale only hours after a temporary restraining order and only minutes after a preliminary injunction had been issued to have any potential sale stopped. This backdoor deal culminated a year and a half process of shady dealing in attempts to sell the property against the owners’ will. According to the lead curator of the space, Vince Craige, “They must rescind the sale due to negligence and investigate how this horrendous act could have occurred as the injured party had two judges signatures and a court date. The Craige Center could very well be victims of an orchestrated land grab.”
A rally attended by some 100 community members was held on August 3to support the Craige brothers’ center and promote their court date that took place on August 8, Vince’s birthday. The rally ended with the son of the black woman that purchased the center behind the Craige’s backs, making a case for why he deemed his mother’s greedy capitalist land grab to be justified. To follow and support the campaign to “Rescind the Sale!” and keep the Craige Center alive, follow them on Facebook on the Craige Cultural Center page. And most importantly, come out to their court date on September 5 at 1:30pm at Civil District Court at 421 Loyola Ave. Section J, New Orleans, LA 70114. This could be the difference between losing or keeping a cultural institution. COME THROUGH!