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Will Harlem lose its soul?
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editor's response to Damita Butler |
First and foremost, thanks for reading InTheFray and thanks for sharing your opinion! I'm sorry for the negativity that was directed at you and I hope to keep this conversation civil going forward.
I'm the editor of InTheFray who wrote the quotes you used in your first comment and I will readily cop to being an outsider. I've lived my whole life in Minnesota and don't have much experience with Harlem or New York in general. If you have a disagreement with the use of those phrases, it is with my (inaccurate?) characterization of Will's piece, not with the piece itself.
You ask why the media is ignoring other voices within the community. I think Will addressed your question in his response, when he noted that a journalist's ability to do his or her job is dependent upon the subject's willingness to cooperate. Will said that Manna's was the only establishment to cooperate openly with him on this piece. It is difficult to write a story featuring voices that don't want to make themselves heard. I assure you, it isn't a lack of interest that's caused InTheFray to miss the perspectives you feel are absent, but rather lack of access.
That said, I'd like to invite you to write a piece for InTheFray that does tell these untold stories of gentrification in Harlem. You are a strong writer with a valid viewpoint, and we'd like you to provide some of the balance you feel is missing, if you're willing. If this interests you, please see http://inthefray.org/submit for more information. |