An Open Letter from 200 Black Philadelphians

The Sixers Arena Deal is a Scam

An Open Letter from 200 Black Philadelphians

We, Black Philly for Chinatown, are a coalition of Black organizations, communities, and constituents from across Philadelphia, who are united in our opposition to the proposed 76ers arena in Chinatown. We are outraged by the City’s blatant disregard for the expressed wishes of nearby communities, including Chinatown, as they push this project forward and bulldoze over community concerns. We demand for this plan to go back to the drawing board and for the city to propose a true, community-centered plan for a new arena that is fair to all communities in its location, its design and its process.

We are seeing a small group of Black leaders use their positions to push through a project of gentrification. The proposed Sixers arena is another example of how the ultra wealthy and their allies in positions of power weaponize race and identity to divide us and profit from us. Black faces in high spaces will not save us, and principled leaders do not weaponize race, sow division, or make decisions without us. We shouldn’t accept this from our Mayor, who has pitted Black folks against Asian folks, or from any Black leader who acts first to serve billionaires. We refuse to watch a small group do harm in our name.

This fight is not our first fight. Black and Asian communities have long been victims of so-called urban renewal, borne the burden of inequitable development, and built strong community-led movements to fight back. Black residents successfully resisted a proposed stadium in North Philly. Chinatown residents have fought and won against proposals for a baseball stadium, a casino, and a federal prison. Despite our resistance, gentrification has reshaped the realities of communities of color throughout the city. From Point Breeze to Germantown, our communities face increased housing costs, leading to the displacement of long-term residents and poor Black Philadelphians and the cultural erosion of our neighborhoods. Black communities increasingly face a lack of access to services, are pushed away from our family roots, and often out of the city altogether. From the enforcement of eminent domain on the Black Bottom, to the demolition of Sharswood and the expansion of Temple University, we know how this story goes and we stand in solidarity with Chinatown because of it…

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