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# In the South Bronx, Locals Respond to an Anti-Gentrification Mural
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/in-the-south-bronx-locals-respond-to-an-anti-gentrification-mural/
- Published: 2015-12-24T19:30:39.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:30:09.000Z
- Description: The vivid, comic book–like mural depicts bees being driven from their hives by "evil crops developer Dr. Dor," a white hipster type with skinny black trousers and square-frame eyeglasses.
- Author: Seph Rodney
- Tags: Art, Murals, south bronx, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 07:13 (2014, 2015, part 3)

!["Tales of the Swarm" (image courtesy of the artist)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/12/113015_mural3.jpg)

“Tales of the Swarm” by Alberto Serrano and Royal KingBee (image courtesy the artists)

In the southwest Bronx’s Mount Hope district, a new visual and verbal polemic against gentrification has been launched by two artists, Alberto Serrano (aka Tita Na Rua or “Tito on the Streets”) and Harlem-born, Bronx-raised graffiti artist Alfredo Bennett (aka [Royal KingBee](http://kingbeeuw.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com)). Serrano, who is now based in Rio (which has its own pervasive housing issues), collaborated with Bennett to construct the mural, which is only one block from a section of the Bronx that has been designated for rezoning as part of Mayor de Blasio’s affordable housing plan — a plan that is [reportedly being disputed ](http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20151117/williamsburg/de-blasio-zoning-plan-unites-civic-groups-opposition-it?ref=hyperallergic.com)for several reasons, among them a one-size-fits-all approach, the elimination of parking requirements, an increase in building heights, and other incentives regarded as more friendly to developers than to community groups.

![Mural by Tita Na Rua and KingBee on Walton Avenue. All photos by author for Hyperallergic.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/12/gentry-mural-4-1.jpg)

“Tales of the Swarm” mural by Tita Na Rua and KingBee on Walton Avenue (all photos by author for Hyperallergic unless otherwise noted) (click to enlarge)

As initially reported by [Gothamist](http://gothamist.com/2015/11/30/gentrifiers%5Fbronx%5Fmural.php?ref=hyperallergic.com), on Walton Avenue, near where it intersects East Burnside Avenue, the artists created a vivid, comic book–like mural depicting bees being driven from their hives by “evil crops developer Dr. Dor,” a white hipster type with skinny black trousers and square-frame eyeglasses. In one panel, Dr. Dor wears a tank of dangerous-looking chemicals strapped to his back and holds a spray nozzle while shouting, “Go, my HIPSTER-MITES! Gentrify these honeycombs with your cultural appropriation and privilege! Give rise to luxury condos and coffee shops!” In another, a bee character who has been injured by the insecticide spray, says “No…not a Wholefoods!” To which Dr. Dor replies, “Yes…and crochet street art as well…” The last panel shows the local citizens (of color) attacking and fighting off the Hipster-mites along with a company of angry bees.

In order to get a sense of the community’s reaction to the mural, I canvassed a selection of people as they passed by the wall, asking what they thought about the piece.

\* \* \*

![Gentry Mural 2 (1)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/12/gentry-mural-2-1.jpg)

**Ingrid** \[a woman in her 40s who says she’s been in the area for many years\]: “It’s very beautiful. It lights up the whole neighborhood and changes it from being full of graffiti.”

**John** \[a young man in his 20s\]: “I like it a lot; I never saw no one do this kind of work, like a comic book. You see different types of style, like the Brazilian \[lettering\], and KingBee from New York. It’s a really nice mural.”

**Luz** \[who grew up in the neighborhood and identifies as Panamanian\]: “I know \[KingBee\]; I grew up with him. Used to live at the building on 179th and Walton Avenue. I think it’s beautiful. It’s amazing. It did take them like a week to do the whole thing. He has other work on Arthur Avenue, on the Rite Aid there. He had a contract for a long time to do this work, but he was too busy.”

**Doris** \[a woman in her 50s\]: “It brightens the neighborhood.”

![Gentry Mural 3 (1)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/12/gentry-mural-3-1.jpg)

**Edward** \[a man in his mid-30s\]: “No one messes it up. It took them more than a week to do.” \[I asked if he had read the story.\] “No, I haven’t really read it.”

**Reginald** \[a black man in his late 20s\]: “I feel uncomfortable \[after reading the story\]. Why pick this neighborhood? It’s poor, low-income, and you supposedly making the neighborhood better, but moving poorer people out.”

**Jerry** \[a black man who says he lives nearby\]: “It’s like what they did to Harlem: raising rents, getting people out. It’s nice that they put \[the mural\] here, but most people aren’t going to understand what it’s about. They’re just going to think, ‘Oh, that’s a nice painting.’”

![Gentry Mural last (1)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/12/gentry-mural-last-1.jpg)