--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But artists aren’t the only marginalized…" description: "\"“But artists aren’t the only marginalized folks controlling real estate. Think about the colonizing role that wealthy white gay men have played in comm..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/bell-hooks-464_art_but-artists-aren-t-the-only-marginalized_2055395.jpg" --- # But artists aren’t the only marginalized folks controlling… ![“But artists aren’t the only marginalized folks controlling real estate. Think about the colonizing role that wealthy white gay men have played in communities of color; they’re often the first group to gentrify poor and working-class neighborhoods. Harlem is a good example. Gays have moved in and…” quote by bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/bell-hooks-464_art_but-artists-aren-t-the-only-marginalized_2055395.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/bell-hooks-464_art_but-artists-aren-t-the-only-marginalized_2055395.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/bell-hooks-464_art_but-artists-aren-t-the-only-marginalized_2055395.jpg) > ““But artists aren’t the only marginalized folks controlling real estate. Think about the colonizing role that wealthy white gay men have played in communities of color; they’re often the first group to gentrify poor and working-class neighborhoods. Harlem is a good example. Gays have moved in and driven up rents, as have renegade young white students, who want to be cool and hip. This is colonization, post-colonial-style. After all, the people who are “sent back” to recover the territory are always those who don’t mind associating with the colored people! And it’s a double bind, because some of these people could be allies. Some gay white men are proactive about racism, even while being entrepreneurial. But in the end, they take spaces, redo them, sell them for a certain amount of money, while the people who have been there are displaced. And in some cases, the people of color who are there are perceived as enemies by white newcomers.”” [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealthy white gay men often lead gentrification, displacing communities of color, creating a modern form of colonization despite some anti‑racist efforts. **In simple terms:** White gay men gentrify, displacing locals. Key Takeaway Address power dynamics in urban development. Themes gentrification colonialism race sexuality urban change Mood reflective critical Type sociological political When to use this quote - neighborhood revitalization - real estate investment - community activism Key Concepts social hierarchy economic displacement allyultural appropriation Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do privileged groups have in gentrification? - How can displaced residents retain agency? A Different Perspective Not all participants are uniformly oppressive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Gay men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-men/) [Gentrification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gentrification/) [Queer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queer/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Real estate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-estate/) ## Related quotes > [“The claim to a national culture in the past does not only rehabilitate that nation and serve as a justification for the hope of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frantz-fanon/the-claim-to-a-national-culture-in-the-past-does-not-only/) [Frantz Fanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frantz-fanon/) > [Often, those with the most to lose as a result of a poor policy move are the most vulnerable and most marginalized. 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