Bernell Okay. Grier remembers her elders telling her, again in 1969, that Harlem was ripe for gentrification.
“There was a girl and there [were] additionally a few older males that used to speak to me about Harlem and the way the neighborhood was vulnerable to being taken over and probably not being owned or operated by Blacks who lived in Harlem,” she recalled.
“Again then, I simply bear in mind sitting in what was once known as Colonial Park, now it’s known as Jackie Robinson Park on Bradhurst Avenue, and simply having the ability to speak about Harlem. There was a number of abandonment at the moment: landlords had deserted the buildings and other people had been with out warmth and scorching water. My job was to assist folks get data on tips on how to complain and get companies of their constructing.
“One in all my mentors who ran this system I labored for stated ‘Harlem is prime territory. It’s an space that once you have a look at it, it has transportation hubs, each subway system runs right here: you will get to New Jersey, you will get to Lengthy Island, it’s prime land. If we as a folks in Harlem don’t handle to personal and management what we have now, finally, we’re going to see Harlem change and it received’t be the Harlem that we all know right now as being predominantly Black.’”
Grier, who’s Harlem born and bred, grew up within the New York Metropolis Housing Authority’s Rangel/Colonial Homes. She took the teachings realized from Harlem’s gentrification and right now works to make sure that Black communities stay rooted in neighborhoods they’ve established.
Grier has served as the chief director of the neighborhood growth company IMPACCT Brooklyn since 2016.
IMPACCT was once known as PACC (Pratt Space Neighborhood Council). The group helps small companies with their operations, owns and operates inexpensive housing developments, and offers courses and help to residents within the quickly gentrifying neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Mattress Stuy, Crown Heights, and Prospect Heights.
By directing IMPACCT, Grier has come full circle.
She stated her mother and father had the best affect on her, elevating her to be civically engaged and to be somebody who fought for the soundness of her neighborhood. She recollects conversations with elders who warned her about gentrification in her traditionally Black neighborhood. She additionally remembers the talks legendary figures gave at her colleges whereas she was rising up––folks like lawyer and enterprise chief, Percy Sutton; former New York Metropolis Mayor David Dinkins; and former Harlem Congressmember Charlie Rangel––additionally swayed her to be involved about inequity.
Grier had been inspired by her elementary college instructor, actress Estelle Evans, who, earlier than starring in “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962) and “The Studying Tree” (1969), was a instructor within the New York Metropolis public college system. “She was my third-grade instructor, and he or she recognized me as an intellectually gifted baby. After that I used to be examined and went by means of the college system within the intellectually gifted courses after which attended Bronx Excessive Faculty of Science and Metropolis School.”
After two years in school, Grier switched to night college in order that she may work in the course of the day. She labored at Chase Financial institution and joined their accelerated profession coaching program which taught her tips on how to run a financial institution department. She later labored with Financial institution of America and different monetary establishments, and joined teams just like the City Bankers Coalition (now, the City Monetary Providers Coalition) in order that she may keep linked with different Black bankers and be part of applications selling monetary training in the neighborhood.
When the idea of neighborhood reinvestment turned large within the banking neighborhood within the Nineties, she jumped on board. As a neighborhood growth officer, she labored carefully with community-based organizations from throughout New York state, after which later New Jersey and components of Florida. “I bought the chance to fulfill and to fund a number of the management of individuals in communities that had been actively working to protect and construct and improve communities throughout the nation,” she stated. “I appreciated having the ability to help them each with the financial institution’s assets in addition to my time and in addition garnering assets for these organizations.”
However after 30 years in banking, Grier wished to get again to working immediately in the neighborhood. She took a job operating Neighborhood Housing Providers of NYC, labored with the Federal Residence Mortgage Financial institution of New York, after which got here to IMPACCT Brooklyn.
“All of my expertise in banking and volunteering has ready me for the job that I’ve right now and that’s constructing supportive in addition to income-targeted inexpensive housing,” Grier stated. IMPACCT operates a low-income housing program on the Gibb Mansion constructing in Mattress Stuy, owns and operates 1000’s of items in mixed-use residential buildings all through Central Brooklyn, and in addition conducts a house possession program.
“In our neighborhood organizing crew we attempt our greatest to get residents to be civically engaged and to arrange tenant associations,” Grier stated. “In the event you’re already in a constructing and a number of instances landlords are attempting to push folks out of their buildings, we ensure that tenants know their rights. We be a part of with different organizations, totally different authorized companies entities like TakeRoot Justice, Brooklyn Authorized Providers, and the Authorized Assist Society to have the ability to have clinics, so folks know their rights and so they know tips on how to set up to have the ability to shield themselves and their properties, and never be pushed out.”
