UPDATE: Tomorrow at noon there will be a protest at 1043 N. California against the comments made in this video.
So last night, I got a message from a good friend over at Latino Rebels, the site that brings Latino issues to light that aren’t necessarily being covered by mainstream media.
The video is an interview by City Soles’ Scott Starbuck with Naomi Levine, owner of Tipsy Cake bakery that was once based and housed in Humboldt Park, from which they still produce all of their baked goods. The bakery has a new spot in Bucktown. Levine’s reason for moving? “Too many bullet holes in the cakes.”
Starbuck doesn’t ask what she means or even attempts to redirect the comment but plays on it, pointing into the cakes with his finger and laughing. What?
First of all, if you really wanted to see bullet holes in your cake, you should have settled in the area 25-30 years ago, when you really did have a reason to watch your back and your cakes. Humboldt Park was one of the most dangerous areas in the city of Chicago in the late’80s and early ’90s, I won’t deny that. Humboldt Park was featured on Ganglands by the History channel because of one of the gangs. But to say that that’s were Humboldt Park is now is just plain wrong.
Get your facts straight, lady. In the last 20 years, the Humboldt Park neighborhood has been the victim of intense gentrification. Where there were buildings being shut down, condos were going up. Lots were being sold and long-time family homes were being bought out, remodeled and rented for much more than anyone would think.
The only reason why it is still considered the nationalistic Puerto Rican community that it is, is because of the community itself that has stood its ground with a campaign known as “Humboldt Park no se vende.”
It’s the people who have cleaned up their neighborhood and have succeeded through a lifetime of struggles. Various people from all walks of life have come to enjoy what Humboldt Park is turning into: A haven for young Chicagoans to live. And guess what, they are Tipsy Cake constituents.
Levine obviously didn’t know what she was talking about and for her to insult a community that has come a long way without understanding the hardships was just insensitive and inappropriate, states the Humboldt Park Portal.
When the community found out about this video, they spoke out and guess what: Tipsy shut them up by deleting comments, blocking Facebook users and not responding to Tweets directed at them. Because people are super intelligent and the internet is a wonderful thing, users and angry constituents turned to Yelp, where you will find a long line of one-starred-comments telling them everything from “I have never been here and now I know I will NEVER shop here because of the video I watched…” to “Shame on you. Humboldt Park welcomed your business with open arms and you sh**ted on them. Karma is real.”
So we’ll leave you with Latino Rebels’ edited video that talks about bullet holes and the crack that they sell. Yes, that’s right “Humboldt crack,” said Starbuck before putting it in his mouth.
