COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...

class does not view the lifeways of the lower-income residents in a positive light and
yearns to live in a diverse neighborhood that is more like a cultural hub. In these
neighborhoods, community groups often serve the interests of the middle-class and leave
the poor out of neighborhood planning activities. Oropesa (1989:435) further stresses
another important aspect of citizen groups—when residents are not successful in their
initiatives or do not approve of certain initiatives, some of these residents move to other
neighborhoods. Low-income neighborhoods can then end up losing increased attention
that was fueled by the arrival of middle-class residents. Thus, there is no easy solution.
Amidst the dilemmas and controversy of revitalization projects, it is largely
argued that community organizations aid the development of a collectively defined good.
They provide a valuable function, especially for communities with diverse populations
facing many problems, with potentially conflicting solutions. But this potential
advantage remains speculative, as there is little evidence about the ability of democratic
organizations to go beyond the aggregation of individual preferences in defining goals
(Bennett 1995:75). And although community-based organizations may materially
contribute to a sense of community, and are often politically effective, their contributions
should not be confused with their capacity for management and distribution. More often
than not, community groups have only enough power and resources to fail (Grigsby and
Corl 1983:93). Community-based organizations often suffer from having a lack of
resources and a lack of members that are able to effectively manage the organization.
Community-based organizations and the programs created by them require planning,
time, and financial stability.
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