Move out of the Hood, or no?

See, that is one of the reasons I have such a cyber jones for you. I grew up poor, in a notorious gang neighborhood in Los Angeles. We could share some war stories. I worked hard to create a nice life for myself & the family I was born into (though will have to reevaluate that down the line). I don't live in the same neighborhood, but I still live in the hood.

I would only attempt to totally move out of the hood if I started a family.

 

:smt023

Damn Tam, that's some real talk right there.

This new Rep system is b.s. can't even give it to deserving posts like this.

 

I mean Jaisee does have a point. It's just looking at both sides of the issue. You either stay around people you know well and deal with the issues in the neighborhood, or you move to a better neighborhood. Depending on the area, it's probably not going to be a large number of black people. So the issue for me is gathering some sense of community, if that's even possible.

On the other side of the coin, places like where I live aren't destitute, but they lack good schools, lack good residential homes, and the construction of the area seems to be left to itself at times.

So the idea, I guess, is to find proper strategies to gather and/or create community support. So again, the idea wasn't just "movin' outta da hood", but to create a hood that would have a sense of pride. Perhaps it's too soon to be discuss things like this, but I figure it's a topic of importance. To those who thought I was too altruistic or ideal about the subject, I definitely am comparing the costs to the benefits.

 

You can only do your part and know you are giving your best. I have a long and winding journey in my life to now and I am only 31.

I was born poor in Guyana in South America, lived in a wooden shack type home with an outhouse and outdoor shower at one point with my mom. Always had food to eat and never wanted for anything, but it was just the way of life I knew as a young child growing up. Everyone around me lived the same, a little worse or a little better so it never seemed out of whack.

I always valued education, went to the top high school (President's College) in Guyana after finishing what is termed primary school or the equivalent of junior high - based on the British school system, before abruptly leaving at 12 to come to America.

I moved right into the hood, finished up a year of junior high, then went on to high school and college before entering the workforce.

You see someone but one has no idea the life experiences they may have come from. If someone spoke to me today they would have no idea of what has made me so driven, determined, disciplined and focused as I am.

 

The sad thing is brotha, there are always the fuckups even when one tries to do good.

People who don't want to do good, seemingly are incapable of doing good or just plain don't give an eff.

For example you can put nets on the basketball courts and some knucklehead will cut it down, someone will tag up the walls with graffiti, urinate in the elevator, etc. Some folks just don't strive for betterment.

 

This subject could start a new thread unto itself. One person's revitalization is another man's gentrification, or displacement of stable communities to make developer's rich. But, to answer your question, it's a "white thing".

I know that there're upwardly mobile younger Black families moving back to the cities. At least I saw evidence of that in Detroit several years ago.

In Illinois there were programs targeted to ensure that Black families weren't totally shut out of housing market as a result of steadily increasing real estate values. The federal government offered low interest loans and other incentives to entice first time home buying ethnic minorities to return to the Chicago area.

I can only assume that similar things are happening in other major cities, whether motivated by desire or intervention by the government.

 

:smt024it would have been easy to just buy a bigger house in the suburbs and not get involved...not care...let it be someone elses problem...an old house comes with lots of repairs...just had the roof fixed...my fence guy is here today putting in posts for my new cedar fence...the old fence was looking really bad and it was time to replace it on one side....my neighbor on the other side is now interested in replacing the fence between our two houses and sharing the cost...i take alot of pride in our surroundings...it's a lot of work but it's all worth it to me...

 

I really don't keep in touch with my friends from back in the day. They are literally dead, in jail, or MIA. I only hinted at it, but it seems like I really will have to shake my family loose. I have a blueprint on how to get ahead in life, but key members in my family are so sorry & ass-backwards. It can be really frustrating working like a dog & scheming like a James Bond villian in order to achieve a measure of success, then to see some of that effort wasted because a dumb ass relative needs help.

I have decided that once I reach a financial quota, I'm gonna have to cut just about everyone loose. At some point, I am gonna have to live for me, maybe start my own family.

 

Damn, GQ. You are like a real-life, non-criminal Tony Montana.

 

:smt061just admiring you...

 

Da Hood

Yeah!! move out the hood!! No matter how hard one try to help improve their surroundings where they are living there is always ONE! to fuck it up ...i'm out!!:smt039

 

ROFL, you see when you come from the Caribbean culture you are accustomed to living rough but everyone around you do as well and its just part of life, so it seems normal. People always looked out for each other and you always have family, food, friends and good weather.

I haven't been back since I came to America but my mom has and she says it has changed with the influence of American culture, the younger kids want the brand names that they see the rappers wearing, etc. In other words its slowly turning into what we see in the American inner city mentality of having to cop the freshest gear.

Something that had long plagued Jamaica with the drug wars and gangs, has now spread to Guyana since it is being used as a transit point for drugs from Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, which are close by.

Guyana has a lot of rivers and every week a boat is seized with lots of drugs from those countries, but a lot more gets through. A lot of gun play is happening, something that was not the case when I was growing up there. You never heard of gun violence now it is in the news frequently.

A couple of years ago a drug kingpin, robbed a military weapons depot of the arms and went on a rampage in a local village killing civilians because his drugs were seized, kind of what you see with the Mexican drug cartels.

He was caught a year later and killed by the army with multiple gun shots including a bullet through the eye that brought his reign to an end.

The thing is now I probably couldn't deal with living in that kind of culture having lived in America, as opposed to if I never had migrated in the first place.

 

Haha - I was a helpless little creature. Couldn't even fill up my own car with gas or drive on the interstate without freaking out. My own sister walked up to me in the middle of an office during business hours and goosed my armpits, and I screamed like she was a serial killer.

I agree about everything you said - look like you have a purpose to whatever you're doing and look tough. I also make a point not to give eye contact too much while keeping someone in my peripheral vision, and sometimes it's necessary to MAKE eye contact, like if someone is walking behind you, to let them know you are aware they are back there.

I also learned to say hello back if someone says hello to me, you know, the "How you doin'", especially from black men, just say "Fine how are you" in the exact same tone and KEEP MOVING. I also check my watch BEFORE I get to the corner in case someone asks me what time it is, so I won't have to stop and get distracted. Maybe I should have a cigarette out and ready too (what is it about black guys always asking me for a cigarette? ).

I am not talking about guys like you on this forum, but there are some trifling guys in this area of town that I definitely have to keep an eye on in order to feel safe. So far I have never been mugged, although I did get my ass grabbed when I let my guard down the other day because I was distracted and stressed out and let someone get too close to me.

By the way, your story is really inspiring, GQ. You and I have a few things in common - I actually lived in a horse-shed and had an outdoor toilet for awhile - we always lived on the "fringe", roughing it because my parents kind of have this "survivalist" mentality. But that has made me more resourceful and creative in life as well, just as your situation has built your character. Your character shines through in everything you say (even before I knew your background) - a diamond.

 

LOL, where the heck you hang out SA, dudes grabbing your ass. Those folks don't sound too put together.

Were your parents hippies by any chance.

I knew from a young age what were the important things in life and being an only child I locked in on bettering myself as a man.

 

Where we agree on work needed to be done, on the other hand it's the amount of work that's questionable. During the ten years I've lived in this current house, I've seen over 4-5 neighbors move in to several houses in the vicinity. Two are just plain ridiculous to have a price attributed to 'em....and then there's one that looks decent until you find out that there are roots growing near/under the foundation of the house.

 

you would be a fool to stay in the hood if you can afford to get out. you can go back and visit but why live there if you dont have to