Problem 1. What conditions (economic, legal, social, historical, etc.) are leading to the mass displacement of black residents of North Portland? How is this connected to city and state policy about rent control and landowner/renting rights? Give an example from one specific scene to support your point. Use at least two of the following terms in your response and explain what they mean: Redlining Gentrification Divestment Section 8 / Housing Vouchers Urban Renewal Efforts / Redevelopment
Problem 2. What is Nikki William's story in the documentary? How did her perspective on gentrification of North Portland change from the 1990s to present? (More specifically, how was her early opinion shaped by the crime/drug culture of her neighborhood? How did her opinions on gentrification change after the financial crash of 2008?)
Problem 3. Explain the Trader Joe's controversy in North Portland -- use examples here from the readings as well as the documentary. How is the Trader Joe's controversy connected to gentrification of the neighborhood? When it comes to community organizing and activism, what successes have the residents of North Portland seen in recent years?