EP 4: Housing justice: Southern Towers tenants stand up by Subvert

Southern Towers, located in Alexandria, VA, near Amazon’s proposed HQ2, is more of a village than a housing development, according to tenant organizers with the #ACT4SouthernTowers campaign. The towers are home to a deeply rooted community of African immigrants and working-class folks. Tenants have long looked out for each other, but when CIM Group, a massive real estate firm, purchased the housing complex in August of 2020, tenants were faced with a new set of challenges to their home and community.

Guests on today’s show are Amaha Kassa, Founder and Executive Director of African Communities Together; Bert Bayou, Chapter Leader and Organizer with African Communities Together, and Chris Bohner, a labor and housing organizer and researcher supporting the campaign.