If U.S. Census data is to be believed, Mattapan lost nearly 10% of its population between 2000 and 2010. This came as a surprise to those of us who live here. Bus trips home remained congested, and lines at the Post Office remained long. In other words, nothing in our lived experience of the place confirmed what Census data reported.
Since then the nagging question has been, how did nearly 10,000 people leave without anyone noticing?
Now we know there’s been a concerted effort to whittle away at Mattapan’s territory, again. This time, by selling Mattapan homeowners on the idea that life would be better if they were Hyde Park residents. Apparently many opted to leave Mattapan (figuratively speaking)—diluting the power of their vote in the larger pool of mostly white voters who live in Hyde Park. And for what? Cheaper insurance rates? It’s the kind of short-sightedness that continues to create openings for others to displace us.
Mattapan’s artists are paying attention to the public artworks and creative street designs that are not finding their way here. We’ve noticed the recent influx of candy-sucking panhandlers. None of it is by accident.
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