Intergration for the Nation

To no surprise, Chicago is still one of the most segregated cities in the country. In the stereotypical view, African-Americans are confined to the southside, Latinos and Polish to the westside, and Caucasians to the north and surrounding suburbs with Asians secluded to Chinatown and Bridgeport. However, there are instances where integration is apparent. The best examples are Hyde Park, Wicker Park, Bronzeville/Bridgeport and Lincoln Park. Even with those shining examples, it is not enough to really make the city as diverse as it can be.

There are neighborhoods that are suffering and it is mostly because of the disparity in wealth and race. Some of the most dangerous neighborhoods, Englewood, Roseland, Back of the Yards, Little Village, are also some of the most impoverished and are dominated by one race.

 I am not saying the problems in these neighborhoods are specifically about race, but with integration, some can be fixed. Still using Chicago as an example, Englewood was once majority populated by Caucasians. The neighborhood was thriving. It wasn't until the 60s-70s that the white people started to move out and an influx of African-Americans moved in. Unfortunately, that's when the deterioration started. And that situation isn't limited to just Englewood. This is similar to many neighborhoods across America with the same problem. People would rather move away than integrate. Whether it is because they sought something better, see one particular group of people (not just race, but also financial standing) as inferior, or they feel endangered, people just aren't too accepting of integration as the fix to poverty and to level the field.

I will say that integration is a lackadaisical attempt by governing powers to not do what they are supposed to do, which is actually take action and fix the problems directly instead of side-stepping them and using scapegoats. However, whatever the solution, it at least has to experimented with to see if it is positive. I'm in favor of integrating people of many different races and finances. You just can't integrate a group in poverty with another group in poverty because that's not doing anything but causing more problems, such as violence and possibly more poverty. That's like spreading spoiled mayonnaise on stale bread. With more money and people of different backgrounds coming into a neighborhood, with people who show that they care about their homes and neighborhood, hopefully, it will become infectious towards in the neighborhood. Lead by example.

Can you spare a dolla?

I need a dolla, dolla, dolla is what I need. Hey Hey. To be honest I need about 1 million dollars. Again, honestly, a lot of people need a million dollars. Or even just one, because they don't even have a penny. Living on the streets or crap housing, tattered clothing, destructive environments, limited nourishment, and absolutely no outlets. The aforementioned is the stereotype for poverty or just being poor. I know about being poor. How? Because I am poor. Not afraid to say that if it's the case. Now here's a question. Is it me or my family's fault for being in poverty? Not necessarily so. The same goes for others.

Sure, you hear those stories of people who poorly manage their money or run away from home or don't/fail to pursue a good education or live a criminal lifestyle and resort to being in the situation I described. But those stories are rarer than you think. Majority of the impoverished people on this Earth had no choice. It was clearly just something circumstantial. Let's use impoverished African-Americans as an example. Go back to 1865. Civil War ended, all slaves are free by late June. Think about it. Millions of people, who own absolutely nothing, have nothing and really still can't pursue an education, are left basically to fend on their own. That's the equivalent to being thrown out home at 11 in modern times. The former slaves who became sharecroppers became indebted to the property owners (legal form of slavery after 1865). The former slaves who went up north had to struggle to survive almost as badly as the Negros in the south, fighting for jobs, dealing with high rent, and much more oppression than you would believe. Plus they were confined to certain areas within cities (Harlem, Roxbury, Camden, Bronzeville, 9th Ward in NO, etc.) still with almost nothing. How did these two parties survive? Borrowing and credit (which you have to pay back, oops no cash) and welfare, said as the poor man's saving grace. And now it brings up today's topic of are poor black people freeloaders and lethargic. Current unemployment in the US is down to 7.7% but that's still a lot of people out of work. Well, why don't they do well in school or choose better careers you say? Public schools systems around the nation aren't in the best shape, especially CPS (Chicago Public School). And it's not a stretch to say that schools have failed to really reach many youth, mostly within the inner city, to keep them motivated to stay in school. And even if people were to get a college degree, it doesn't guarantee anything but that you will have a plaque/diploma on your shelf forever. I can't speak for everyone, but I definitely think it's unfair to make that assumption. Yes, there are people who just

One thing concerning the issue of poverty is that it can be beat. There have been tons of rags to riches stories that have brought tears to our eyes and inspired us to achieve greater. But the key is within. Do people possess the determination and will to rise above their circumstances to bring about significant changes in their financial situation? Many do and have done it. As you see with lots of people who have become athletes, actors, musicians, doctors, lawyers, businessmen, inventors, etc, all it takes is one to break the cycle of poverty. But those one are so few within communities poverty is a forever reality for so many and will continue to be that way until changes are made. Everyday people are born into poverty and they have no control over it. So is poverty a choice? I don't think so.

Malcolm 1:12

To begin, I have to say I am completely in awe at the beginning of Malcolm's life. From his father's devotion to the teachings of Marcus Garvey to the eventual weasel, hustler lifestyle Malcolm picked up in his later years. They are almost direct opposites to each other. His dad wanted us to leave the US, like Garvey, and go back to Africa where we would reestablish ourselves as what we were before the slave trade and the pillaging of Africa began. Malcolm, not picking up where his father left off as is the cliche, became the embodiment of the average Negro Caucasians used as an example of why we couldn't be treated the same. Drug abusing, scheming, robbery and lots of adultery filled Malcolm's everyday activities. The person Malcolm became as a young adult was probably the person Marcus Garvey and his dad hated and also felt gave African-Americans at the time a bad name. And we gotta remember that he was not even 21 yet. Felt like he was a vet at being a criminal to me. But it also speaks to the influence he had and the potential that was inside him. If Malcolm became a top hustler in Harlem and Boston without building much street credit like his counterparts, think about what he would've accomplished had he focused his time on something more LEGAL and productive (as he did in the future). Gotta admit, I enjoyed this part and I don't think if I read any further I will find a part I enjoy more than his dog days.