From the Ground Up (The 3 C's in your community)

 Urban Uplift Report

From the Ground Up: Reclaiming Our Communities with Power, Purpose, and People


The Problem: The 3 C’s of Control

In far too many Black and underserved communities, real estate developers have followed a predictable pattern: introduce fast profits with the 3 C’s – Coffee, Chicken, and Crab. These symbols have become shorthand for businesses that do not serve the health, wealth, or well-being of our people.


Coffee shops often signal the start of gentrification – places with overpriced lattes but no spaces for cultural exchange or ownership.


Chicken spots flood our neighborhoods with unhealthy food, while fresh produce is miles away.


Crab, both literally and metaphorically, represents division – overpriced shellfish in places lacking quality options, and the crab-in-a-barrel mentality that discourages unity.



The Call: Reimagine, Reclaim, Rebuild


It’s time to stop accepting what is given and start demanding (and building) what we deserve.






1. Reimagine the 3 C’s:


Let’s replace the current cycle with a new vision:


Culture: Invest in spaces that celebrate us—our art, our voices, our ancestors. Fund murals, cultural centers, and creative spaces for youth.


Cooperatives: Build collective ownership in housing, retail, food supply, and energy. When we own together, we rise together.


Community Wellness: Create businesses rooted in healing—juice bars, herbal shops, fitness centers, mental health sanctuaries, and green spaces.





2. Join the Community Board


Your voice matters. If you're tired of decisions being made without your input, get in the room.

Community Boards help shape zoning, land use, liquor licenses, and more. Demand:


Healthy food options


Local hiring mandates


Cultural preservation


Affordable commercial space for Black entrepreneurs




3. Form Consumer-Resident Empowerment Groups (CREGs)


Unite with your neighbors and:


Conduct surveys about what your community actually wants


Boycott harmful businesses


Support and launch pop-up shops or rotating vendor markets


Negotiate community benefits agreements with developers


Host town halls and design sessions for your vision




4. Create Your Own Development


Why wait? Form a Community Land Trust or start a co-op real estate development:


Secure land collectively


Develop affordable, sustainable housing


Include childcare, green markets, learning centers, and wellness clinics


Profit returns to residents, not investors.


Conclusion: The Shift Starts With Us


We are not powerless. We are not invisible. We are worthy of safe, clean, affordable, and culturally relevant spaces.


Let’s stop settling for fried chicken when we could have a farmers market.

Let’s stop watching buildings go up that we can’t afford to live in.

Let’s stop asking for a seat at the table and start building our own.


Join. Build. Empower. Lead.

The future of our blocks depends on what we do right now.

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