Dear Sellouts & Displacers...
Dear Sellouts & Displacers is a collaborative project with Wanda Salaman, Executive Director of Mothers on the Move (MOM), the project draws inspiration from our 2016 City Limits Op-Ed, "The Intrinsic Value in Neighborhoods Targeted for Gentrification." Together, we address the gentrification crisis in the South Bronx, a historically underserved and overlooked community.
After this Op Ed was written, I created a 11" x 14" silk screened poster with the following: "Gentrifiers, Sellouts, Displacers, & Art-Replacers Are Not Welcome Here. Have a Nice Day." The poster serves as a declaration of resistance from those on the front lines of gentrification who have witnessed the erosion of their community fabric.
The posters were distributed to local organizations, residents, groups, and businesses as part of a grassroots effort rooted in the traditions of art collectives and community organizing. They became vehicles for dialogue and awareness, amplifying the voices of people grappling with rising rents, cultural commodification, and the loss of local resources.
Through this work, viewers are invited to engage with the collective narrative, challenge the normalized practices of erasure in gentrifying neighborhoods, and advocate for equitable, inclusive development that respects and honors existing communities.