Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff

Episode Title: Gentrification, Boston, and Racism
Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Richard D. Wolff
Guest: Sabrina Salvati

Episode Overview

This episode of Economic Update explores two interrelated themes:

1. The historic election of Zoran Mamdani as the new socialist mayor of New York City and what it signifies for American politics and economic priorities.
2. The pervasive issue of gentrification, Black erasure, and racialized economic displacement in Boston, as illuminated by Sabrina Salvati’s documentary film “Removed: Black Erasure in Boston.”

Richard Wolff connects these topics with a critical lens, examining not only the systems that perpetuate economic and social inequalities, but the grassroots fights pushing back.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Election of Zoran Mamdani as New York City Mayor (00:20 – 16:50)

• Historic Significance

  • Mamdani’s election marks the first time in over 75 years that a socialist has become mayor of New York City, a city historically resistant to socialist leadership since WWII and the Cold War.
  • Wolff points out, “Electing socialists was very common in the United States… It was after World War II… that it became impossible to be a socialist and to have a political career.” (03:35)

• Obstacles Overcome

  • Mamdani faced enormous resistance from the political establishment, including billionaire Michael Bloomberg (who spent $9.5 million opposing him), former President Trump, and major Democratic Party figures—without success.
  • “People used his Islamic faith against him, and that failed to defeat him. His immigrant status failed to defeat him. His sympathy for the Palestinians in Gaza failed to defeat him… He not only won, he won by a lot.” (06:14)

• Voters’ Motivation

  • Wolff argues that New Yorkers were not voting for “socialism as an idea,” but against decades of policy favoring rich elites, neglecting mass needs like housing, transportation, and education.
  • “You know what the message here is, even though you dare not speak it? That this city… is not a system for the majority of people, it’s a system for the rich.” (11:25)

• Mandate and Challenges Ahead

  • Emphasis on the need for Mamdani to deliver real reductions in inequality and to redefine the state as a resource for ordinary people rather than a “nanny state for the rich.”
  • “Mr. Mamdani, you’ve got to show it can be… the loving mother and helper that it could have been, should have been, and which you need to make it be.” (14:57)
  • Warning: the rich and powerful interests will fight back and require mass mobilization to resist.

2. Gentrification and Black Erasure in Boston: Interview with Sabrina Salvati (17:37 – 31:01)

Sabrina Salvati’s Documentary Origins & Goals

• Genesis of the Film (18:21)

  • Inspired by outreach from Franklin Park Defenders, who highlighted the privatization of White Stadium in Boston—traditionally a public facility for schools and community events.
  • The central issue: “Private investors have come along and they decided to steal White Stadium because they want to create a U.S. women’s soccer team… and they felt that would be the perfect spot.” (18:54)

• Documentary Focus

  • Examines how gentrification and other historic harms—redlining, urban renewal, mass incarceration—have systematically driven Black communities out of Boston.
  • “We go through the history of how we were able to get to this point, of all the harms… that led to that displacement of the Black residents.” (20:51)

• Effects of Displacement

  • Black families are forced into suburban towns far from the city, away from social networks and reliable public transit.
  • “You’re taking people that grew up in the city… and they’re displaced to towns that don’t have readily accessible public transportation. So now they do have to get a car. So you’re making things more hectic and unaffordable for them and less convenient.” (21:43)

Gentrification as a National Issue

• Pattern Across Major Cities

  • Not limited to Boston; stadium construction and redevelopment often target poorer, historically Black neighborhoods (e.g., SOFI Stadium – Inglewood, DC Nationals ballpark, New Orleans post-Katrina).
  • “Stadiums have been known over the years to displace Black communities… whenever I see that there’s a new stadium coming, it makes me worry because they usually try to put those stadiums in places where the land is relatively cheaper.” (23:32)

• Gentrification’s Red Flags

  • Arrival of high-end grocery stores, juice bars, and breweries are early signs of planned displacement—not intended for existing low-income communities.
  • “One of the big red flags here tends to be a Whole Foods supermarket… They are building a community that is not for people who grew up there.” (24:26)

The Racial Wealth Gap & Historical Racism

• Startling Wealth Disparities

  • “The average net worth for the typical Boston Black family was $8, and the average net worth for a white family in Boston was over $250,000.” (26:54)
  • Disparity rooted in decades of public policy and practices like redlining and urban renewal, which stripped Black families of assets and generational wealth.

• Black Presence in Boston

  • Salvati describes ongoing displacement: “At one point, we lived in downtown Boston… They pushed us out of the places that were productive and sent us further, further south of the city.” (28:31)
  • Ultimately, economic motives of the rich outweigh considerations of the communities uprooted: “They just care about money. They don’t really care who is removed or displaced because of it.” (29:03)

Local Resistance and Activism

• Franklin Park Defenders
  • Press conferences, alternative proposals to the stadium plan, direct engagement with Boston’s Mayor Wu.
  • “They have been pushing back against this.” (29:30)

Where to Find the Film & Call to Action

• How to Watch

  • “You can watch it on YouTube, on my channel, Sabi Sabs. It’s called Removed: Black Erasure in Boston.” (30:03)

• A Broader Movement

  • Salvati encourages others to document and fight similar processes in their own cities.
  • Wolff affirms: “We need it here in New York City. We just had a tumultuous mayoral race in which one of the major factors that produced the upset… was people’s reactions to the kind of running of a city for the rich.” (30:27)

Memorable Quotes

• Richard D. Wolff (on the stakes of the moment):

  • “Socialism reemerges—shouldn’t surprise you. It was always there… Socialism is the product of capitalism. You might call it capitalism’s self-criticism.” (04:28)
  • “The city suffers from inadequate schooling, housing a huge number of people can barely afford, transportation… Our subway system is an embarrassment.” (09:50)
  • “The nanny state has always been there. It’s just been a nanny for the rich.” (14:41)

• Sabrina Salvati (on Boston’s Black erasure):

  • “We identified four harms in particular that have led to the Black erasure in Boston: redlining, urban renewal, gentrification, and mass incarceration.” (19:57)
  • “The affordable housing that they build here really isn’t affordable when you look at the income requirements.” (22:05)
  • “Whenever I see that there’s a new stadium… it makes me worry because they usually try to put those stadiums in places where the land is relatively cheaper.” (23:32)
  • “The average net worth for the typical Boston Black family was $8…” (26:54)
  • “It’s really unfortunate when people come to Boston… One of the things that they say is, ‘Where are all the Black people?’… We have been pushed further and further away from Boston property.” (27:32)

Notable Timestamps

• 00:20: Wolff introduces Mamdani’s election and its historic context.
• 06:14: The various high-profile (and failed) efforts to block Mamdani’s candidacy.
• 11:25: Wolff articulates the core grievance of average New Yorkers.
• 14:41: Critique of the “nanny state for the rich.”
• 17:37: Introduction of Sabrina Salvati and her documentary.
• 18:21: Salvati describes how the Franklin Park Defenders inspired her film.
• 19:57: The four historical “harms” leading to Black erasure in Boston.
• 21:43: Description of the lasting effects of displacement out of Boston.
• 23:26: National context and parallels to gentrification elsewhere.
• 26:42: Racialized targeting and the Boston Black family wealth gap.
• 29:21: Description of ongoing resistance by local activists.
• 30:03: Where listeners can watch “Removed: Black Erasure in Boston.”

Tone and Style

The tone is direct, urgent, and unapologetically critical of entrenched economic and political systems that prioritize profit and elites over communities. Both Wolff and Salvati use personal experience and documented facts to convey the human cost of official policies, while also highlighting paths for resistance and change.

Summary

This episode of Economic Update zeroes in on the interconnected struggles against economic inequality and systemic racism in American cities. It frames the election of a socialist mayor as both a break from and response to elite domination—and connects local fights against displacement in Boston as part of a nationwide pattern of reshaping cities for the affluent at the expense of working-class communities, disproportionately affecting Black Americans. Through thoughtful analysis, personal stories, and calls to action, Wolff and Salvati urge listeners to recognize, resist, and document these processes for a more just and inclusive urban future.