A review by mwaltos
Gentrification is Inevitable and Other Lies by Leslie Kern

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

First of all, what an evocative title! Not only is it attention grabbing, it also alludes to the basic structure of the book. Kern’s novel starts with a very brief and concise overview of the history of the term gentrification, and then spends the vast majority of the book focusing on the various perspectives and beliefs about gentrification that inhibit resistance and naturalize the process. The book is written with a well executed intersectional lens which exposes how the “class story” of gentrification insufficiently captures the complexity of the issue. To fully understand how gentrification works, one needs to see how racism, ableism, sexism, and anti-queer sentiment fuels gentrification and makes the process disproportionately affect marginalized groups. 

Towards the end, Kern starts to articulate an intersectional framework that can serve as the basis for anti-gentrification advocacy. Additionally, she includes some brief case studies of resistance, such as community land trusts or protests against evictions, and enumerates a variety of actions one can take in their daily life to limit their contribution to gentrification. 

Kern writes in an accessible style that I highly respect and does a great job of referencing other scholars, especially ones with marginalized identities. This a great place to start if you are not particularly knowledgeable about gentrification, but it might serve you better as almost an annotated bibliography if you are more of an expert on housing issues. 

Memorable Quote: "If our frame ignores or minimizes race, sexuality, gender colonialism, or ability, chances are our solutions will not form adequate barriers against the forces that drive gentrification or protect those vulnerable to displacement” (175).