Shirikiana Aina
Brick by Brick (1982)
From L.A. Rebellion: Creating a New Black Cinema (1971-2006)

Brick by Brick documents a late-’70s Washington, D.C., ignored by the media, from which poor Black residents are being pushed out. Images of monuments contrast with prescient images of gentrification and homelessness. An alternative is provided by the Seaton Street project, in which tenants united to purchase buildings. Participants discuss their effort as part of a worldwide struggle against displacement. —Kevin McMahon