Wanted: The Middle Class

When I moved to north Minneapolis in October 2001, my “posse,” with perhaps one or two exceptions, was, shall we say, perplexed. Oh, everyone liked the house, a recently renovated five-bedroom house with Birdseye maple hardwood floors and leaded glass windows. The neighborhood—that was a different matter. My former wife warned my two oldest sons to never stray more than a block from my house, and then, only in broad daylight. My future father-in-law asked me, “Will my daughter be safe in this neighborhood?” And my sons nervously joked about borrowing my old military flak jacket when they came to visit.

Someday, I vowed, y’all be kicking yourself in the backside for not joining me up here. Now, I must confess that sometimes I wonder if I should be kicking myself for moving up north; I still contend with trash in my yard, the “boom-boom” of mega-decibel car stereos, and the knowledge that some of Minneapolis’ worst mayhem occurs within a 20-minute walk from my front door. For some time, the prevailing mantra among those in the urban renewal business has been “affordable housing.” However—and I am sure I’ll be called an elitist or worse for saying so publicly—some of the people who most need affordable housing are not great neighbor material. Now, I am defining “great neighbor material” as those who are stable, law-abiding, and respectful of the rights and property of others, those who value education—in other words, those with values closely associated with the middle class. And, unfortunately, a disproportionate number of those who fall short in the “great neighbor department” live in north Minneapolis.

Now, I am not alone in that view. Don Samuels, Minneapolis’ newest City Council member, represents the racially diverse Third Ward, which includes a very good chunk of north Minneapolis. Samuels recently told me that the Jordan neighborhood, where he lives, has too many thugs. He told me about drug dealers threatening him in front of his own home. Samuels believes that the gangsters felt bold enough to do this for one reason. “They had become the dominant culture on my block. Sure, we had a few middle-class families—three or four—on our block, but that is not enough to change the culture. Give me just two or three more families, then we really make a difference.”

Samuels publicly exhorts the middle class, particularly the African-American middle class, to “come home” to north Minneapolis. Privately, he admits that living in north Minneapolis is harder than, say, Linden Hills or Uptown. He concedes that it is tough to encourage affluent, educated people into neighborhoods like Jordan, joking, “not everyone shares my sense of mission.” Samuels agrees that middle-class people, because they value hard work and planning for the future, can anchor a neighborhood in a way that those struggling to survive simply are unable to do.

The truth is that many middle-class people are scared away from north Minneapolis because they fear what nationally known educator Ruby Payne calls the “culture of generational poverty.” According to Dr. Payne, those in generational poverty live “in the moment,” and do not consider the future ramifications of their actions. She adds, “being proactive, setting goals, and planning ahead are not a part of generational poverty.” The middle class by contrast usually embraces those very values that those in generational poverty resist.

What if the Minneapolis City Council, in conjunction with various community groups, collaborated in creating a predominantly middle-class neighborhood in north Minneapolis? I would suggest redeveloping three or four city blocks with market-rate (i.e. no subsidized) housing, unlike Heritage Park, the new development rising where public housing projects once stood. I personally think Heritage Park developers will have a tough time selling market-rate housing alongside significant subsidized housing. Why? Because most people want to live around people that share their world view, even if they are not willing to admit so publicly.

North Minneapolis is at a critical juncture. Middle-class folks and their values are crucial to providing the stability that creates a truly healthy community. The Minneapolis City Council needs to do everything in its power to ensure that middle class values are the rule, and not the exception, in this challenged part of town.