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07.20 | THEBURGNEWS.COM | 27 entertainment as their way out of inner-city neighborhoods, said Gilliam. Seeing adults succeed in other fields, including real estate and development, presents pathways to the full scope of careers. Casteel positions his projects to create economic opportunities and to stand as showcases of possibilities. "People need the opportunity to show what they can do," he said. To him, the HUB demonstrated that "African Americans can develop and build a good project and can work together to build their own community," he said. Indeed, the city "wants to hear from different people," said Economic Development Director Nona Watson. Diversity brings people who have experienced discrimination firsthand—something that "never leaves you." "You want to give back in a way that will help keep other people from experiencing what you experienced," she said. Diversity "creates additional opportunities for individuals who may not have had opportunities to necessarily get into that field," added city Business Development Director Jamal Jones. "When you're working with people who are the decision makers that are from diverse backgrounds, it provides opportunity to other people because there's a certain level of understanding that there may have been—traditionally, historically—disparity in regard to opportunities. It levels the playing field," he said. FROM WITHIN African Americans in Harrisburg development aren't a novelty, Jones pointed out. Today's big-project developers are standing on the shoulders of those who have made smaller contributions over the years. "We should be at a point where this is more of the norm, as opposed to the unicorn," he said. When more citizens have access to education and jobs with livable wages, "you'll see the byproduct in leaps and bounds, from more citizens that can contribute to your tax base, to bringing more people into Harrisburg," he said. Barriers remain. Closed doors to the banks and networks that control the money and jobs. Decades of redlining that depress the value of Black-owned properties and curtails generational wealth. State contracts awarded to far fewer minority- and women- owned businesses than available, according to the Pennsylvania 2018 Disparity Study. African-American developers say they are working around and through those obstacles. Casteel has built a strong network of relationships with trusted partners. Sanders' funding sources include community-impact financial institutions. "Economic development is one of the building blocks we need to address some of the systematic issues we have," said Sanders. "I'm always for doing all community first, so you have enough individuals who are looking to do for our own community, and we'll have the village that is needed to help produce the next generation of leaders." Dupree sees stereotypical views of Black men as intimidating or not knowledgeable. But when people realize they are savvy men who know what they want and understand what systematically oppressed people need, "that's what is meant by 'by the community, for the community.'" "We've come so far, but we still have a ways to go to be able to have that equal access seat at the table," he said. "I say it all the time. I'm proud of Harrisburg. When we say that Harrisburg is going to look a lot different in five years, we genuinely mean that." Failure to cultivate diversity among developers keeps a city from moving forward and prevents attention from reaching blighted neighborhoods, Watson said. "Yeah, you have a thriving downtown area, but what happens with the schools, what happens to the neighborhoods?" she said. At the direction of Mayor Eric Papenfuse, Watson is researching "gap financing" to help developers improve return on investment for less remunerative projects. In large part, African-American developers "don't just do development," said Casteel. "We do community development," he said. "We work with the community as a whole. Development isn't just about building a house. You've got to build community." LeRon McCoy & Ryan Sanders Tarik Casteel

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