By Ezae Darby
Brownsville, Brooklyn, is one of the most underserved communities in New York City, if not the country. The area has unfortunately been named one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous neighborhoods by several different sources, including Time Magazine. Having maintained a bad reputation for the amount of violent crimes that occur in its communities, many people make sure to steer clear of this particular part of East Brooklyn altogether. Despite all of this, Brownsville has many redeeming qualities, and the true heart of it lies in its inhabitants.
With that being said, it’s important to understand how this difficult situation came to fruition.
Let’s start at the beginning. According to a bulk of information archived on the website of the Brooklyn Public Library, Brownsville first came into development around the early year of 1865 when 250 frame houses were built in the neighborhood. Around 1867, a portion of its land was purchased with the intention of attracting Jewish garment markers to set up shop there.
In decades after, the area became largely inhabited by the Jewish community and many large, multi-family buildings, along with the recent developments of many small businesses, became the focal points of the community.
Following the aftermath of World War 2, the neighborhood was confronted with many challenges, including decay, abandonment, vandalism, and arson. However, the neighborhood remained resilient, and towards the beginning of the 21st century, many more small businesses, clothing outlets, and even restaurants filled the area with new life.
As a result of this, Brownsville became a point of interest for many immigrant families leaving the Caribbean in the 1980s. The NYU Furman Center lists the current demographics as of 2022. Having an estimated 99,827 people living in the neighborhood, 61.8% identify as Black or African-American, 23.1 identify as Hispanic, 7.7% identify as White, and 2.0% identify as Asian.
Despite its exciting history, Brownsville has come to be known as a desolate area, riddled with gangs and struggling minority-families.
Further research conducted in the last few years shows some troubling data about the once-promising neighborhood. In regard to income, “Median household income in 2022 was $36,790, about 53% less than citywide median household income ($77,550). The poverty rate in Brownsville was 39.1% in 2022 compared to 18.3% citywide.”
In regard to rent, “33.9% of renter households in Brownsville were severely rent burdened (spent more than 50% of household income on rent).”
To combat these types of issues, residents in the community have come together to work in a number of different organizations catered towards the betterment of Brownsville as a whole. One of these organizations is Brownsville In Violence Out, which centers around practices like mediations, mentorship programs, and planning community events in order to end violence in the neighborhood.
The Vanguard recently had the privilege to speak with one resident, Angela Barnes, about her organization and what it’s doing to support and restore the community. Angela runs the community-wellness organization, More Than Conquerers Productions, which focuses on the enrichment of it’s residents and more specifically, families.
Barnes elaborated more on the purpose of the organization and her motivation behind starting it. “Our organization is called ‘More Than Conquerers Productions.’ We are what we call a holistic organization where we cater to the mind body and spirit of the individual. Hence the workout classes, prayer line, etc,” stated Barnes.
She also spoke on the fact that it was originally her husband’s idea to start the organization and shared that they both have a passion for correcting the issues plaguing Brownsville.“He actually came up with this brainstorm because of his background, having a tough childhood growing up.”
“One of the biggest issues affecting the black community is the lapse of the family structure. There’s a lot of single parenting whether it be single moms and dads. There’s a lack of family, a lack of compassion, a lack of empathy that we used to have with one another and somehow it’s gotten lost.”
What changes do you want to see specifically in the community?
Barnes also named some changes that she believes are essential in order to get the community back on track. “I would like to see more workshops, I notice that a lot of families are lacking the male presence which is an important part of a home. The male is supposed to be the head, everybody has their role in the household, and the household is stronger when both males and females are raising their fam together.”
Besides Angela and her organization, there are tons of other resources that are catered towards the development of the neighborhood and it’s residents. Some of these resources include organizations like BMS Family Health and Wellness Center, Brownsville Heritage House Inc., and Brownsville Jobs Plus, which all provide a variety of services designed to educate, employ, and protect the community. Information regarding more agencies and services can be found on the official NYC government website.
Despite all of the issues harming this community, there are still people, like Angela, who are helping to lead the charge into this better future. With that being said, residents can remain hopeful that Brownsville will once again rise into it’s previous glory.