Homewood West is located on the eastern side of Pittsburgh and is one of the three neighborhoods that make up the Homewood community, along with Homewood North and Homewood South. Homewood West was once a thriving neighborhood with an abundance of upper-class families and an economy that depended heavily on the city’s railroad system, that made economic opportunities readily available and housing that was affordable and convenient (Allegheny County DHS 2010). African-Americans were the first to inhabit Homewood, However many whites moved into the neighborhood, causing tension within the community, during a time period where racism was still a major factor in society. According to the Allegheny DHS (2010), by 1910, Homewood’s population was 30,000. Residents and workers who came to Homewood were skilled workers and small business owners (Allegheny DHS 2010). The social classes were that of a stable neighborhood; the upper middle class, the working class family, and the poor. This would change drastically over the next century when a massive influx of African-Americans migrated into Homewood. By the early 1960’s, Homewood was 70 percent black (Allegheny DHS 2010). The riots that took place after the Martin Luther King assassination, caused damage to businesses which led to the failure of the railroad system, making this the main reason the change in demographics caused the economy of Homewood to collapse (Allegheny DHS 2010). This scared away white and black middle class families, who left for more stable jobs in the city, as African-Americans continued to pour into the now unstable economy of Homewood West toward the end of the industrial era. Today, after the drop in population, more than a third of people live in poverty, and 17... ... middle of paper ... ... but they use this senseless violence to come closer as a community and view their trials and tribulations as a sign of strength as they overcome all these problems. With the positive and ambitious attitudes of residents along with programs like operation better block to stop deterioration of buildings, Homewood Children’s Village which gets involved with kids in their early stages of life, I truly do believe Homewood West can become a place where business can prosper and parents won’t have to worry about their children getting in the crossfire of gang warfare on their way home from school. Nothing upsets the residents more than seeing one negative media story after another causing this negative stigma, and keeping everyone away. It’s about time their voice gets heard and then hopefully we can hear a completely new story of Homewood West, one of peace and prosperity.
When help presented itself, many of the people at least made an effort to change and realize that violence was not the answer. The amount of people that are shot and killed in Chicago is a surprising number. Many of the violence does not come from someone necessarily being a bad person, but someone who is unwilling to back down from any situation (Kotlowitz, 2012). In Chicago many believe that “death before dishonor” is a good motto to live life by (Kotlowitz, 2012). The funerals that people attend are just a reminder to them, that one day the way they live their lives on the street will catch up to them (Kotlowitz, 2012). The violence interrupters are working hard in Chicago to help the people in the society, but if people do not want to change it is hard to make a difference (Kotlowitz, 2012). The people in Chicago also have to put in the work to make the community a better place, so that they feel safe leaving their houses instead of feeling like “every time [they] go outside somebody is going to get killed” (Kotlowitz,
Newark began to deteriorate and the white residents blamed the rising African-American population for Newark's downfall. However, one of the real culprits of this decline in Newark was do to poor housing, lack of employment, and discrimination. Twenty-five percent of the cities housing was substandard according to the Model C...
The setting of the story is Chicago’s South Side. This area of Chicago was known as the “capital of black America” (Manning), and according to Andrew Wiese, Chicago used to be known as “the most segregated city in America” (118). These seriously contradictory statements are true. Chicago’s South Side was home to William L. Dawson, who was the most powerful black politician at the time, and Joe Luis, who was a boxing champion and was known as the most popular black man in America (Manning). It was the most popular place for blacks to migrate to during the Great Migration, and the population grew from 278,000 blacks to 813,000 blacks. Most of the neighborhoods located in the South Side were poor and highly segregated from the rich white neighborhoods located just outside the South Side (Pacyga). The housing in these areas was very poor as well. Most of the African Americans at the time lived in a small apartment called a kitchenette. These were cramped with a small kitchen and small rooms (Plotkin). Lorraine Hansberry describes the Youngers house as a worn out, cramped, and very small apartment (23). She also talks about the small kitchen, living room, and bedrooms (24). These apartments were not ideal, but it was all that many African Americans could afford. If African Americans tried to move nicer neighborhoods, whites would perform violent acts on them (Choldin). This violence was recorded in a African American newspaper, known the Chicago Defender (Best).
Throughout the article “The Code of the Streets,” Elijah Anderson explains the differences between “decent” and “street” people that can be applied to the approaches of social control, labeling, and social conflict theories when talking about the violence among inner cities due to cultural adaptations.
Even though slavery was abolished, many colored people had very low-paying jobs. In fact, “Like the Youngers, 64% of black women and 34% of black men in the city worked as domestic servants” (Gordon 123). This exclaims how the white class has superior over colored people because of there disagreements with past events. Since there was a vast amount of African-Americans in this area it caused increasing acts of violence because of the huge unemployment rate, Along with the mixture of races if certain parts which many white’s did not agree
Gang violence is a very serious downfall living in Chicago. In two articles written by Mark Guarino, “Behind Chicago’s High-Crime Summer: Persistent Street Gang Violence” and “In Chicago, Can Community Involvement Combat Gang Violence” he adds how Chicagoans are severely alarmed by the series of murders there are due to gang violence, including the death of an innocent eight year old girl who was caught between a heated gang war while playing outside (Behind Chicago 1), while adding how a gunmen approached a car and started shooting and killed a 20 ...
Although they needed African Americans for their factories and work ethics they did not agree with them having the same rights or sharing any rights with them. They wanted them just to work for them and have authority over African Americans. The more Africans Americans populated their living area, the more whites felt upon to call for action. For example whites wanted to feel much superior...”African Americans had to step off the sidewalk when a white person approached”(Digital Collection for the Classroom). This quote illustrates how whites did anything in their power to feel superior. The Great Migration caused whites to fear and enable them to more injustice actions. Although the Great Migration did benefit many African Americans in certain aspects it also crated unintended consequences. Due to the large growth of the African-American population there was an increasing competition amongst the migrants for employment and living space in the growing crowded cities of the North. Besides, racism and prejudice led to the interracial strife and race riots, worsening the situation between the whites and the African Americans. Racism became even more of a national problem. The Great Migration intensions were to let African Americans live a better life style economically wise and help them from poverty not cause even more issues with racism or become competition against others. Because many white people did not want to sell their property to African Americans, they began to start their own exclusive cities within that area of sell. These exclusive cities were called the “ Ghetto”(Black, 2013). The ghetto was subject to high illness, violence, high crime rate, inadequate recreational facilities; lack of building repairs, dirty streets, overcrowded schools; and mistreatment from the law enforcement. Although the ghetto cities helped unify African Americans as
Geoffrey Canada gives his readers a rare opportunity to look inside the life of a ghetto kid and what they have to go through just to survive. He also provides answers to the many questions asked of why certain things happen the way they do in the Bronx. He used his childhood experiences and turned them into a unique tool when helping the youth of today. Now that he works as a youth councilor he sees that the problem in the slums has gotten dramatically worse with the emergence of guns. It used to be about pride and status, now any thug with a gun can be feared in the community. This, to Canada is a major problem because guns gives kids a sense of power, a strong feeling that is often abused and results in someone, even an innocent person dead.
Growing up in the city we experience more than those who did not. We are accustomed to seeing things other people would not be used to. One thing we are accustomed to be violence, more specifically gang violence. Gangs are a group of people who join together because of a common interest. Gangs are that have been around for ages. Dating back to the mafia in the roaring 20s all the way to present day gangs like the Bloods and Crips. It’s hard to imagine if gangs will ever cease to exist. They are too big and too strong for all of them to disappear one day.
The video Home Feeling: A struggle for Community covers the lives and individual stories of the residents of the Jane and Finch area, primarily the Indians who make up at least 15% of the immigrants who reside in the area. The residents of the Jane and Finch area have strong feelings against the police who constantly wander their community looking for trouble or trying to cause some of their own. Many blame the police for their frustrations claiming that they feel they have no privacy because they are always being watched.
CNN presents the documentary, Homicide in Hollenbeck, spotlighting gang activity in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Hollenbeck. This documentary explores the subculture of gangs existing within Hollenbeck from a several perspectives. The people documented include a mother who lost both of her sons to gang violence, a priest that has tried to help rehabilitate gang members, a police officer that has worked in Hollenbeck for five years in the gang unit, and a current gang member. For a conclusion, Homicide in Hollenbeck focuses on a juvenile exposed to gang life on the cusp of decided where they want their life to lead; gangs or freedom. Problems attributed to the high rate of gang activity and number of gangs in Hollenbeck are the high poverty rate, low employment rate, and broken families that make up the majority of Hollenbeck. The crime most discussed, as per the title of the documentary, is homicide The number of gang related homicides has risen even though the criminal behavior of gangs has ultimately decreased in the neighborhood. In order to fight the overwhelming gang presence, the police believe in increasing the amount of gun power on the streets and number of jailed gang members. The priest who runs Homeboy Industries stated that he feels most gang members are just young men who can’t get out of the gang life. With more funds and opportunities, he thinks the problem could be decreased. In the end, the documentary mentions that the FBI has formed a gang center where local law enforcement agencies can share information to gain more knowledge and to better fight the presence of gangs.
Over the past half century, violence in the United States has increased dramatically. Children who were raised in a tough, low-income neighborhood often fail to escape exposure to violence. They may witness homicides, assaults, and some may even have had a friend who had been killed. According to recent research, these children have higher violence rates than those kids who grew up in a non-violent neighborhood.
The issue that I will address is the gang problems this community has. I believe this is the biggest problem my community is facing. You mostly see gangsters in every part of the community. Since there's so many different group of gangs in new city fighting for territory, there is violence every where you go. Some of the gangs that are present were I live are the Two Six, Saints, Razas,and SDs. There is always beef between the Two Six and Saints may be because 47th St separates them and they could just go into each others territory and start a gang war at any time of day. All you see them in the middle of the streets with binoculars just watching what the other gangs activity. Many people say there sick of this but they still greet the gangsters and tell them how are you today and all those things. Some of my family members have been in between these gang shootings and never gotten shot, but some day one of us will be shot. Not just my family has been in gang shootings, other families too and sadly someone they know get injured or killed by accident because he was in the way.The problem is the gangs because they are making the community residents scared that every time they step outside something bad is going to happen. Well they developed in the 1880's in Bridgeport and Back of the Yards. They were mostly large Irish gangs, they terrorized the streets by raiding peddlers, robing men that came out of work, they also fought against them selves, they terrorizing German, Polish, and Jewish immigrants that came and settled in the area between 1870's- 1890's. Even though they fought between each other, they united to make a gang called "Mickies" to fight the black gangs in the east. Then later on other gangs started to show up like Po...
Interview #1: On February 8th I interviewed a 72-year-old neighbor who has lived in this community his entire life. He told me that many things have changed over the years such as farmland disappearing, a large influx of immigrants coming from India and increasing crimes against the elderly. He said that he “no longer feels as safe as he once did in the community and back when he was young people respected their elders and never hurt them.” On a bright note he stated, “I still have several safe places in my community to meet with my friends such the YMCA and my local
To conclude, Community policing represents a major development in the history of American law enforcement, but the extent to which this approach is a success and dominates contemporary policing remains a source of debate. In my point of view, community policing is good for communities. It has challenged the traditional concept of the police as crime-fighters by drawing attention to the complexities of the police role and function. In addition to the police officer hard work; citizens can also make a difference and contribute to make neighborhoods a better place to live. For instance, citizens can hold community meetings to talk about concerns and agree on solutions help organize healthy activities for children in your neighborhood, join or starting a neighborhood crime watch program, and talk to your community police officers and share information and concerns.