The Battle For the Soul Of Downtown
By Shamako Noble // Photos by Richard Babcock
The battle for the soul of downtown is on, and there will be a need in the near future to develop an organized voice to engage this struggle. It's a surprise that it hasn't happened yet. The more police there are in downtown, the more surveillance cameras they set up, the more expensive it becomes and the less welcome poor people feel there, the more natural and possible an organized body becomes. The alternative is just more cameras, more fees, more police, and less us.
Recently, cameras have been put up in the Fountain Alley on First and Second Street in order to ward off what has been classic downtown drug activity (Hope I'm not blowing' up anybodies spot on this one). While the tactic has been successful in heading off some of the activity, many San Jose residents, including myself, have noted that the activity has simply moved to another location just a few blocks south of that intersection.
Even beyond the surveillance cameras, the continuously oppressive nature of downtown culture is made more obvious by the imposition of a parking fee on what were sensibly free lots. Although I'm sure the City has an official line of what the fee increase is about, the streets are talking, and the general consensus is that this an attempt to control the parking lots, and the people who want to park in them. It is becoming more and more apparent that whoever is in charge, has a desire for certain elements to exist downtown, while removing anything it considers dangerous or a threat. Typically these people are youth, minority or visably poor people (at worst all three) some of whom may be involved with criminal activity but the rest of which are simply undesireable.
It wasn't always like this.
I moved to San Jose in 1995, from the East Bay and rented a 3-room duplex with my mother and my sister at the time. I fell in love with downtown instantly. I loved the people, the vibe, and the park. I loved everything about it. Maybe it was just a vibe thing, but where a lot of people saw a rundown, underdeveloped downtown I saw people. I saw real ass people going about their day and daily business. And a lot of them didn't mind if you kicked it.
I experienced a lot in downtown. My first Hip Hop show was at the Cactus Club, where a lot of San Jose Hip Hop, Punk, Rock and Drum and Bass was incubated. I freestyled at KSJS while the Da Underground was still in affect. I know that I'm kicking some ole school rules, but I am also contextualizing a point. Downtown has changed.
As far as Hip Hop goes, I saw the change coming when we were doing street promotions in front of the HP Pavilion. There was a time when it was most certainly on crackulation mode. There was hella folks posted up outside after concerts from all over the Bay Area. Sean Kennedy and his promotions squad, Get Paid Entertainment, Brotha Lynch Hung's Album, the Bootycrack, and a whole host of records labels, artists and show promoters would be present. It was an industry event every time. This is important, because what it represented was the economic and social potential of a lively and active music industry. No, Capitol Records and Def Jam weren't setting up offices in San Jose, but they were sure as hell sending out their promotions teams to rep in the city. This meant opportunities for artists, clothing designers, marketing and promotions teams, nightclubs, etc. I'm sure the city has to know that that was the case.
And then the police came.
At first it was just a few units directing traffic. And then it was more units controlling incoming and outgoing flow. Soon it just became a shut down and now, street promotions, a necessary part of the community and independent music industry came to an end in front of HP Pavilion.
Over the last few years, we've seen clubs, people even actual, physical houses being moved by forces like the Downtown Association and the SJPD. On event nights like Mardi Gras or Cinco De Mayo, police defense is strongest, ironically enough, where property value might be considered highest and at highest risk, with a strong centralization of defense located at City Hall, as if to prevent any storming of the castle or something of that nature.
Our current downtown is defined by an ever-shrinking cultural scene, an increasing police presence, surveillance cameras, and fees that are excluding a community that once claimed downtown as our own.
The police are organized. So are the developers. If the people of San Jose who do not feel represented by either of these parties which to have a voice in the fate of their downtown, we'll need to do the same.
