From the Ashes

Co-authored with Christopher Strickland, MSW

In 1906, a wealthy Black businessman by the name of O.W. Gurley purchased 40 acres of land in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This modest tract of property became a beacon for people of color— in the open plains of the Midwest, during the heyday of housing and employment discrimination against blacks, Gurley sought to create a “Black Wall Street”, an economic Mecca where disenfranchised African-Americans could celebrate many of the privileges enjoyed by their white counterparts. Fast forward to 2019 and Gurley’s dream for empowerment lives on in Atlanta, GA— the Black Mecca of our contemporary.

Led by Dr. Kathryn Rice, the Greenhaven City movement is a collaborative effort between the Greenhaven Business Alliance and the Concerned Citizens for Cityhood of South Dekalb Inc. Joining hands, the two forces seek to consolidate nearly all unincorporated land in South DeKalb, an area where some 300,000 people reside- 87 percent of which are African-American. If granted cityhood, Greenhaven would be the second largest city in Georgia, rivaled only by Atlanta itself.

Transparency in Neighborhood Planning

To begin our conversation, Dr. Rice explains some of the features of what makes Greenhaven so distinguished from the current unincorporated structure where most of south DeKalb lies. Borrowing from Atlanta, Greenhaven’s charter would form a number of Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) to create accountability and progress. The NPUs would guide citizen participation through a six district community council where commissioners are elected by residents and must pay special attention to issues like education, crime, and other pressing concerns in the city.

Furthermore, the charter calls for term limits on such commissioners; two four-year terms in which seated commissioners can run again, but must participate against other candidates in a vacant seat, creating a market style competition to deliver results. Adding in studies which suggest increased community control of tax dollar allocation to public services and its own feasibility plan, the proposed city could generate an excess of $27 million in revenue.

Yet, while Greenhaven’s blueprint boasts a variety of benefits to residents of the area, the project has met significant resistance from both local residents and government officials in its journey to gain city-hood.

A Hitch in the Plan

After a five year struggle, the project has failed to reach referendums in three separate proposals since 2015, the longest duration any such project in America has had to wait for approval. When asked about the struggles Dr. Rice has framed it as such, “Our legislators are not supporting us” by refusing to bring the issue to voters.  Rice notes many legislators have voiced their own disapproval for the proposal, placing a moratorium which would force a three year period before the Greenhaven project can be considered for a vote.

The project is in its second year by those guidelines.

Rice also contends legislators rarely attend annual meetings designed specifically for them, including a Jan. 5 summit this year addressed to the public.  Coupled with a vocal opposition from groups like Citizens against Cityhood in DeKalb and Neighbors against Greenhaven that suggest tax rates will double and property values will plummet the project has seemed to lose traction.

Yet, when considering these pitfalls, one might look no further than the newly formed city of Stonecrest as a beacon of hope and success.

A Tale of Two Cities

Immediately east of Greenhaven’s own proposed location, Stonecrest lies in between Austell and Atlanta, a young city just two years into its infancy. Having been mayor of the newly consolidated city for those two years, Jason Lary is no stranger to the struggles predominately black communities face in gaining city-hood.

Lary planned the Stonecrest city concept for four years—he, like the leaders of the Greenhaven City movement, saw their work as a response to a deficit of local control in his community: “As a 25-year resident, I did not see the focus on economic development for our area…we had to create a brand, and create our own city, and our own economic development engine to have a better shot at being successful.”

Initially, Stonecrest met much of the same resistance by its detractors: property values would sink, taxes would double, and the community at large would not get a return on its hefty investment. Like Greenhaven, Stonecrest was initially shot down in 2015 by the Georgia House of Representatives, but has been a burgeoning testament to black city-hood since its creation in 2017.

At its official inception, Stonecrest became the 15^th largest city in Georgia and the first majority black city– where some 97% of its residents are black- created by its citizens since Reconstruction. A little over 2 years after its creation, Stonecrest has defied its skeptics with resounding success; property values have risen to over $110,000 while household income has peaked at $60,000 annually for a population where over 70 percent have some form of college education.

“…our property values are going up,” Lary notes, while addressing concerns about rising tax rates in the newly formed city, “Nope, not the case at all. Whatever [public] service that you have in unincorporated DeKalb County, now is the service of the city… So people’s taxes didn’t go up, and they have a better brand, and their property value increased.”

Considering the success of Stonecrest, the prospects for Greenhaven still remain hopeful. To make sure, the movement hasn’t slowed down, but it is evolving in its approach to garner success. Initially the project founds its way onto the doorstep of over 100 HOA meetings since 2014, but Dr. Rice makes a point to convey what has changed in the delivery.

Looking Ahead

A new found emphasis to reach out to the youth of DeKalb County through social media pages like Facebook and Greenhaven’s own website deliver a modern approach to the young citizenry which will soon play a quintessential role in the development of those neighborhoods. Of the project, she wants young people to know it is “the greatest opportunity people living here now have to change their community” and beckons for their support.

In the wake of the 1921 race riots that devastated Black Wall Street, tears filled cheeks and ashes littered the ground. But perhaps like the mythical Phoenix, the ashes of O.W. Gurley’s sanctuary of Black Empowerment might rise again- this time in the form of a new city named Greenhaven.

If you would like to learn more please visit Greenhaven-GA.org for information.