New Haven Independent

Posted by: Ralph Rechtenberg | March 29, 2007 5:59 PM

For the divisiveness the Panthers brought to the city during their brief stay, this house should be destroyed and no marker left.

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | March 29, 2007 7:04 PM

The People In This Area Better Wake Up And Smell The Mackrel, This Is The Beginning Of Gentrification.

Posted by: Joe | March 29, 2007 7:59 PM

What a shame. The rich white guys will triumph and the community (Y-NHH Inc. is NOT part of the community; it simply operates a hospital and union-busting operation IN the community)will lose yet another important piece of their past.

Posted by: SWHAT | March 30, 2007 12:45 AM

Let's unpack this concept of gentrification and its impact on poor/minority families in New Haven. Anyone out there with a historical perspective? Thanks

Posted by: Ralph Rechtenberg | March 30, 2007 9:14 AM

Doesn't anyone remember when the city welded shut the manholes because of the bomb-threats? the Housing Authority inspectors packing revolvers for personal safety? the riots?

And the area is still a mess. Gentrification will do for that area what it did for lower State Street: make it really livable again.

Posted by: jacob | March 30, 2007 10:03 AM

This story illustrates exactly what's wrong with historic preservation in the United States. It's always used to help rich people: they control land use in their neighborhood by recourse to historic preservation; they preserve pretty buildings with recourse to historic preservation. But when it comes time to protect a building that has historical meaning in a poor neighborhood, when there's an opportunity to preserve this history of the African-American community in New Haven--then the historic preservation bureaucracy is nowhere to be found.

Posted by: newhavenresident | March 30, 2007 10:54 AM

I think the house should definitely be saved. Along with the uses mentioned (food pantry, etc.) there could be a historical information and exhibit. Wouldn't it be nice to have some real history displayed for the residents, as opposed to only that of the dominant culture's? Unfortunately, for that reason, it probably won't happen. I applaud the alderwoman for making this an issue.

Posted by: KAM B | March 30, 2007 5:50 PM

The Black Panter Party was a militant destructive party that preached violence against the police, government, and other black people who were not down with their program. A small miniroty of their work was related to helping the community. BUT ANYWAY, I still beleive the house should stay because whether you think their history is good, bad, or undecided, they played a major part in the turmoil of the 60's, and 70's in this city and the country. But historians should not glorify their work. Portray them as they were.

Posted by: Ned | March 30, 2007 11:26 PM

If the city can preserve a defunct boiler factory and an empty tire manufacturer's office tower, then this house, because of its history, would certainly seem to be worthy of preservation. How many cities have a Black Panther historical site? How cool is that! Make this house a part of the Freedom Trail.

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | April 1, 2007 9:35 AM

Ralph Rechtenberg
Kam B
How About The Destructive FBI Who Under J,Edgar
Hoover Cointelpro? This is The Same FBI That Hate Dr. King And Spread Lies, This Is The Same FBI That Has Now Use Illegal Wire Taps On The
American People. And Lets Not Forget the Good Old New Haven Police Department Who Also Did Illegal Wiretaps And Had To Pay A Law Suit With Your Tax Dollars!!! And Last Due To The Fact That The Good
Old Supreme Court Now Allows The Corporatist
To Come And Take You Land Due To The New Eminent
Domain Law By The Way That Law Gives You No Control Of You Property. Ask the People Of New London Who Just Lost There Property To The Land
Corporatist. And To SWhat You State That We Should
Unpack The Concept Of Gentrification. One Day Do To Eminent Domain And Gentrification You Will Be
Packing.

Posted by: KAM B | April 1, 2007 1:03 PM

New,
Freedom trail? What freedom did the Black Panter Party represent? Killing officers, any police officer at ramdom? Killing other black americans if they chose to marry or date white people? Freedom trail?! Know thie history Ned.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | April 1, 2007 2:55 PM

Jackie

What can we do to help?? My community group would be willing to stand with you! You can contact me at anytime through our web site just click my name "cedarhillresident" to go to our web site and there is an e-mail link.

This really should not happen.

Posted by: andy ross | April 2, 2007 10:04 PM

Good or bad. Right or wrong the Black Panther Partys time in New Haven is a part of this city's history and while some may choose to glorify their cause and others condemn it I believe a piece of the physical evidence from a historic perspective will be important for future generations. How about some private and developer donations to restore it in its place or move it to another location to serve as a museum?

Posted by: Edward_h | April 3, 2007 11:23 AM

Was there any effort to preserve 35 Sylvan Ave as a historic landmark before the developer came in? Did the alderwoman push for any legislation to turn this place into a community center previous to this news? The gall of some of these politicians never ceases to amaze me. They only take iniative when the opportunity presents itself to tell other people how to spend their money or what to do with their lawfully purchased property.

Posted by: abraham | April 3, 2007 2:54 PM

If every piece of property that had ever served as the backdrop to historic events were saved, we could not thrive. This is as true in wealthy neighborhoods as in poor ones. One of the criteria for deciding whether to preserve an entire structure is that building's inherent architectural worth. Even when that criterion is met, the needs of the present should probably outweigh the sentiment attached to the past. The solution is not to forget history but to commemorate it in ways that work with current development. A historical marker with background information (or with various versions of the events from a variety of perspectives) would keep the knowledge of that history alive, if people cared enough to read it.

As for a community center at this site . . . there's always need for more services, more education, more resources in these neighborhoods. Whether such a center were located in this run-down house or not is really not important to the living. The hue and cry over this structure's future is about emotion-fueled political posturing, not the realistic attempt to improve people's lives in the here and now.

Posted by: Da Hill | April 4, 2007 11:57 AM

Question. Where was Jackie James when the house was being used as a crack house? Where was the rallying when squaters took over the property and used it for god only knows what? Why do we wait for someone to buy it and present a plan for change, before we get involved.

As for the concept of gentrification. If you dont take care of your community; pay your taxes; exercise your voice in local government...you really dont have a lege to stand on when it comes to the sale and purchase of realestate in the neighborhood. I walk the hill everyday and all I see is despair...Toiltets in peoples front yard, debris everywhere, unkept homes, unkept people...what in the hell do you expect? At the rate my neighborhood is going there will be nothing left in 20 years to call ours. So dont stop progress based on some half assed attempt to keep it the way it is. If you want to keep it, take care of it...

As for The Black Panther Party...look beyond what you have been told by the white media. The Panthers sparked a social movement that brought back the concept of being proud of who you are and not being ashamed of where you come from. The use of military tactics were necessary based on the level aggression white law enforcement had toward the black community. Dont get it twisted, they used force against force. Black men and women were dying at the hands of white law enforcement officers, and the panthers tried to bring protection to those lives. So dont be ignorant as to what the movement was about, and dont demonize what you dont understand. The panthers brought POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

Posted by: charlie | April 5, 2007 4:09 PM

Gentrification almost always benefits existing residents of a neighborhood more than anyone else. They get a better place to live, more services and higher property values. Rarely are they forced to move out. Yes, housing is becoming unaffordable, but that is due to wider trends than gentrification in particular neighborhoods. In other words, whether your neighborhood is trash-strewn with boarded up crackhouses or rich, your housing prices are going to rise no matter what. That's simply because of trends in the global economy.

The motives of the people portrayed here smack of being disingenuous. Tearing down some of the abandoned, run down houses on this block and replacing them with a new development would only help the neighborhood by creating jobs and making things nicer, at least the vast majority of it (maybe not the politicians who are trying to rake in cash and power by giving out handouts to a permanent underclass). Also, I agree with the other posters that the historic value of this house is highly questionable. Panther materials should be exhibited in a city museum, but you don't need to save a very boring, standard, and run-down 1900-era house just because some event happened there. Well preserved examples of colonial history or unusual houses should be saved for their architectural value -- but making an effort to save the birthplace of every political leader, city mayor, alderman, panther or green party founder would be impossible and foolhardy, given the expense. I'd much rather see the money given to support new construction for good housing or job development.