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THE PAST
Initially Brownsville began as a settlement for Jewish factory workers. Most of the land was owned by Charles Brown (hence, "Brownsville") and was advertised to the large Jewish population of the Lower East Side as a cheaper alternative. Unfortunately, over a short period of time Brownsville became very densely populated, with multiple families living in single family households. Over the mid- to late-20th century, racist housing, banking policies (like redlining) as well as questionable police practices, lead to systematic disinvestment in Brownsville. African American families began moving into the neighborhood in droves as the city began building more public housing in the neighborhood. As tensions grew between the two populations, violence began to erupt.
THE PRESENT
Brownsville attracted many immigrants from the Caribbean during the 1980s, especially from Jamaica, Guyana and Haiti, Grenada, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago. In the early twenty-first century the population of Brownsville was largely African American, with smaller groups of Latinos and West Indians. The neighborhood remained mostly low-income with one of the highest densities of public housing projects in the city. Civil unrest continued to grow and Brownsville became overrun with gangs and violence. As one resident put it "“There’s a saying in Brownsville that says if you’re 25, you’re either dead, or in jail or you’re done with the gang life,” he says. “You’re one of the three because you can’t be much older and be out of that category.”"
The Future
New York State launched the Vital Brooklyn Initiative in 2018 - it focused on eliminating or addressing social, economic, and health disparities in Brownsville. Central to this was the issue of incarcerated individuals, of which Brownsville has the highest in not only NYC but also the nation. They face not only difficulty accessing services, but, more crucially, affordable and supportive housing. However, when individuals are allowed to reconnect with their families once their incarceration is over, and they live together as a family unit, that recidivism rate drops precipitously. One example of change is 'The Rise', a 72-unit building that will provide affordable and supportive housing, primarily for formerly incarcerated women and their families. Numerous projects like this are underway in Brownsville, making it a neighborhood now ripe with opportunity for impactful socially-conscious change.
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