On Saturday, January 29, the Save Our Barrios Coalition will hold a Barrio Congress (community meeting) to unite organizations and community activists and build a strategy to halt the gentrification (also called “community development”-amounting to destruction) of Logan Heights in San Diego and other communities throughout the United States. 

The Congress, which will be attended by activists and organizations from throughout San Diego and other cities, will be held at the Logan Heights Library 567 S. 28th Street in San Diego from 10AM to 2PM. Councilmember David Alvarez of San Diego’s District 8 has also stated he will be at the Congress. 

Gentrification is a process used in Mexican/Latino, African American, and working class-poor communities, in various cities throughout the US. Under this “blueprint”, families are displaced, the rich history of barrios and communities is erased as people are moved out –often forcibly–under the guise of “community redevelopment.” Usually what is touted as community redevelopment is community development without the existing community, as land developers, real estate speculators, and corporate profiteers make money hand over fist in the name of “progress.” 

The Coalition to Save Our Barrios (SOBC), composed of Unión del Barrio, Brown Berets of Aztlan, Chicano Park Steering Committee (CPSC) and International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union, Local-29, San Diego (ILWU) has organized this historic conference to create a space for struggle and to organize against the destruction of the community of Logan Heights under the pretext of “community development” and “progress.” We reject the attempt to displace our communities and erase our rich history and culture. This Congress has as its main objective to create a plan of action to mobilize our community to stop the destruction of our rich history and culture and defend the rights of the community.