Symone Isaac-Wilkins

Symone Isaac-Wilkins

On the corner of Green Street and Bunker Hill Street in Charlestown there exists a convenience store that predominately sells Goya products and junk food. The convenience store is directly across from a public housing complex. The image shown below is of that corner store. Hanging above the entrance is a sign advertising that the store sells lottery tickets and money orders, has an ATM and accepts WIC, a supplemental nutritional program for low-income women and children. On the left side of the store is a mother pushing her young child in a stroller. This picture represents the conflicting realities that exist within Charlestown. On one hand, there are the rapidly gentrifying areas populated by young white professional. On the other hand, there exists a portion of Charlestown that is mainly populated by Black and Latino individuals of a lower socio-economic status. I found the housing segregation that exists within Charlestown to be striking.

The map displayed below is of 2010 Census data showing the percent of the Charlestown population that is white. From this map it is clear that in many areas of Charlestown, the percent of white individuals is over 83%. However, in the area of Charlestown where I took the image the percent of white individuals is less than 15%.