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Tony and Grammy Award winner and original “Hamilton” cast member Daveed Diggs opens up on SalonTV how he uses his real-life experience with gentrifying Oakland as a backdrop for his new film. Diggs wrote and co-stars in “Blindspotting” with longtime friend Rafael Casal. The film takes on the realities of gentrification, including the turning over of historic homes, rising racial tensions, the availability of good food and education and changes in policing—all through the eyes of the characters who are witnessing their old neighborhood change. Diggs and Casal joined Salon’s D. Watkins to share how their experiences growing up in Oakland inspired the screenplay. “When you start to get a new demographic of people moving in with more money, realistically, the way your neighborhood is policed often depends on who is creating the most capital in the neighborhood, right?” Diggs explained. Casal told Watkins, “This is why it's hard to paint this with some broad brush. There's so many great things that come with trying to enhance a neighborhood and an area, right? It's just done with no consideration for the people there.” Watch the video above to learn more what Casal and Diggs think has changed in Oakland and why “Blindspotting” is perhaps the most honest on-screen portrayal of how gentrification feels today. --- Subscribe to SalonTV’s Channel HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv For more content from SalonTV, click HERE: https://video.salon.com Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial Watch SalonTV daily at 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT and 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT, streaming live on YouTube, Facebook and Periscope. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. --- About Salon TV SalonTV is Salon.com’s premiere video offering, including three shows, “Salon Talks,” “Salon Stage,” and “Salon Now,” as well as original series created by Salon.
