All Of It (WNYC)

Episode: "A Public Housing Community in Miami Faces Climate Gentrification"

Date: February 26, 2024

Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It (hosted by Tiffany Hansen, in for Alison Stewart) explores the powerful story of Liberty Square—a historic public housing community in Miami—and its residents as they confront the rising threat of "climate gentrification." The discussion centers on Razing Liberty Square, a PBS documentary directed by Katja Esson and produced by Ann Bennett and Corinna Sager, which chronicles both the history and present struggles of Liberty Square, the impacts of redevelopment, and the intersection of climate change with racial and economic justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis of "Razing Liberty Square"

(02:00–04:15)

• Katja Esson shares her personal journey: arriving in Miami from Germany in the late ‘80s, her unexpected early connection to Liberty City through music video productions, and a return decades later that led her to document Liberty Square before its demolition.
• Her initial interest was historic preservation; she describes shock that such a significant, segregated housing project could be torn down.
• The filmmaking evolved after learning directly from residents about the neighborhood’s “high, dry ground”—making it a prime target for redevelopment due to climate change and the concept of climate gentrification.
• Quote (Katja Esson, 03:21):
  "The European in me couldn't believe that something so historical—one of the oldest public housing projects in the country, one of the first segregated public housing projects—would just be torn down."

2. Liberty Square: Portrait of a Neighborhood

(04:15–05:38)

• Built in 1937, Liberty Square is architecturally unique—bungalow and low-rise—spanning nine city blocks, once picturesque but facing high crime and disinvestment.
• The area has deep beauty and challenges juxtaposed: "In Miami, poverty is beautiful because it did look beautiful." (Paraphrased from Terrell McCraney)
• Once considered dangerous, requiring a police escort for filmmakers.

3. Choosing Whose Stories to Tell

(05:38–10:28)

• Ann Bennett recounts the collaborative process and her own discovery of Miami’s Black history (e.g., Liberty Square, Hampton House, visits by Malcolm X).
• The filmmakers decided to let residents be the primary experts and narrators of their own experiences, pivoting from outside authorities to a “verité” style.
• Diversity of perspectives included: a developer representative, a resident, an organizer, a former resident, and a “chorus of elders”—offering both wisdom and humor.
• Quote (Katja Esson, 09:30):
  "It became very clear very soon that the residents are the experts of their own stories. So we completely pivoted and made it into a verité documentary... Not a single expert—because everybody is an expert on their story."

4. The Opening & Structure of the Documentary

(10:28–11:30)

• Opening: Idyllic aerial shots of Miami transition inland to Liberty Square, revealing the stark contrast between glitzy city image and reality.
• Corinna Sager describes: Valencia Gunder's voiceover foreshadows the central tension—outsiders will “come take Liberty City because we don’t flood.”
• Quote (Valencia Gunder, as described by Corinna Sager, 10:45):
  "They're going to come take Liberty City because we don't flood."

5. Redevelopment, Displacement, and the Timeline

(11:30–13:25)

• Developers have eyed Liberty Square’s high, dry land for years, but sea-level rise, rising insurance, and urban pressures have hastened redevelopment.
• Multiple previous attempts were halted by community resistance; in 2015, demolition was approved, with bulldozers starting work in 2017.
• As of the film’s release, only three of nine blocks have been redeveloped.

6. The Human Impact: Stakeholders, Tension, and Vulnerability

(13:25–17:43)

• Aaron McKinney, a Liberty City native and Related Group employee (the developer), is a key voice—caught between community loyalty and corporate development.
• McKinney’s journey is described as “the most vulnerable”—he battled for the community’s interests, saw promises erode, and continues to participate in screenings and discussions, despite personal anxieties and public scrutiny.
• The producers reveal the developer attempted to suppress the film’s broadcast.
• Quote (Aaron McKinney, 13:44):
  "Generations of families have grew up in this particular site... it's understandable that folks are... emotionally attached to this place… So it’s bittersweet."

7. Climate Gentrification: The Broader Phenomenon

(17:43–20:23)

• Liberty Square exemplifies a larger trend—public housing on high ground across Miami is quickly being marked for similar “mixed-income” redevelopment.
• The film is increasingly used by organizers and residents as a “cautionary tale,” spreading to public housing communities in New York, where the same developer has become active.
• Corinna Sager: The film’s timing is critical as it parallels similar battles in other cities.

8. Emotional Pulse and Community Response

(20:23–22:00)

• Ann Bennett: There’s a deep, multigenerational sense of displacement among Miami’s Black residents—they’ve been pushed repeatedly, from the waterfront, by highways, and now by climate-driven land values.
• Reference to a historical saying:
  "Urban renewal is Negro removal."
• Residents experience both weariness and determination; the feeling is “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

9. Memorable Quotes from the Film

(22:00–22:41)

• Katja Esson’s pick:
  "My grandfather always told me they're gonna come for Liberty City because we don't flood." (Valencia Gunder)
• Corinna Sager’s pick:
  Valencia Gunder’s commentary on investment: “How much money is invested in shoring up Miami's flood situation, but not investing [in] the people.” (Paraphrased)

Memorable Moments and Notable Quotes

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |-----------|---------|----------------| | 03:21 | Katja Esson | “The European in me couldn't believe that something so historical... would just be torn down.” | | 09:30 | Katja Esson | “Residents are the experts of their own stories… Not a single expert—because everybody is an expert on their story.” | | 10:45 | Valencia Gunder (via Corinna Sager) | “They're going to come take Liberty City because we don't flood.” | | 13:44 | Aaron McKinney | “Generations of families have grew up in this particular site... Bittersweet.” | | 21:23 | Ann Bennett | “Urban renewal is Negro removal.” (Reflecting a historic community sentiment) | | 22:09 | Katja Esson | “My grandfather always told me they're gonna come for Liberty City because we don't flood.” |

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:45–01:30] Clip from film & Liberty Square backstory
• [02:00–04:15] Katja Esson on film origins and discovery of climate gentrification
• [05:38–10:28] Creation process; deciding on storytelling voices
• [10:28–11:30] Description of the documentary’s visual and narrative opening
• [11:30–13:25] Timeline and details of Liberty Square’s redevelopment push
• [13:44–15:33] Aaron McKinney’s perspective and the developer’s role
• [17:43–19:48] How the film is being used in advocacy and its resonance beyond Miami
• [20:23–22:00] Community emotions and historical context

Tone & Style

The conversation is empathetic, thoughtful, and community-focused, blending historical reflection with urgent contemporary realities. The guests are passionate about letting residents “speak as experts of their own stories,” and bring nuance and complexity to a topic often oversimplified in mainstream narratives. Humor and resilience, particularly from the “chorus of elders,” mix with deep frustration and wariness of “promises” made by developers and policymakers.

Summary Takeaways

• Climate gentrification is a pressing reality for Black and working-class communities on high ground in Miami, exemplified by Liberty Square’s ongoing redevelopment.
• The Razing Liberty Square documentary is unique in centering resident voices and resisting simple hero/villain binaries.
• The film has become a widely used tool and rallying point for activists and residents facing similar developments in other cities, especially New York.
• History repeats: Displacement of Black communities follows broader patterns from Miami’s founding to the present.
• Emotional resonance: Residents feel both the weight of historical injustice and the anxiety of current displacement but are also finding avenues for resistance and collective action.

For more, watch “Razing Liberty Square” on PBS and follow screenings and impact campaigns in your area.