On October 18, PLAID showed the film Class Divide as part of their ongoing film series.

PLAID’s mission is to support a vibrant and inclusive environment in which all members of the community can celebrate their authentic selves. 

We foster open dialogue through family programs, parent education, and community outreach.

Class Divide highlights the recent effects of hyper-gentrification in New York City’s West Chelsea, focusing on an intersection where an elite private school (Avenues) sits directly across the street from public housing projects.

The film made the following points (among others):

-Wealthy people can often feel poor in relation to others who are more well off

-The creation of the High Line walking area in New York City led to rapid gentrification

-Developers in New York City sometimes choose profit over housing for lower income people

-Public Schools in New York City are now comprised of mostly low income families

-Avenues (an elite private school founded in 2012) provides an amazing education, but its students feel the pressure to “succeed”

-Some students at Avenues refer to themselves as “self-hating wealthy people”

-New York City has lost 40% of its low income housing in the last decade

After the film parents had a brief discussion. They expressed various perspectives relating the film to both San Francisco and Hamlin in particular. Much of the conversation focused on how to change policies and structures that create a wealth gap in our society.

For more information about the film Class Divide, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyDpCz4fHE0

For more information about PLAID, please visit: https://www.hamlin.org/page/plaid