An Empirical Test of Gentrification-Induced Social and Cultural Displacement and Place Identity: Examining Native Black American Residents’ Experiences

Historically, Black American communities were forged through the United States' (US) racially exclusive housing policies and practices. Consequently, some Black residents" place identity may be inseparable from their racial identity. Black communities have increasingly faced gentrification, which has led to neighborhoods' historic identity erasure and longstanding Black residents' social and cultural displacement. Social and cultural displacement is related to place identity as it may disrupt residents" sense of place or lead to resistance. However, the gentrification literature lacks an empirically tested theoretical model of this social phenomenon. This article empirically tests Davis et al.'s (2023) Theoretical Model of Social and Cultural Displacement and Place Identity, a model that explains factors and experiences associated with gentrification-induced social and cultural displacement. The findings from the present study inform collective social action and community-centered resistance efforts against social and cultural displacement.