  Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 332 Registered: 07-2004 |
Guys, while this book takes place in Chicago, I think it pertains to Detroit also. Anyway I am reading a book called "THERE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE". The book covers the true life stories of two kids growing up in a Chicago Housing project. Anyway its an interesting read, and while we know the projects and certain inner city areas where bad. This book really captures it with stuff you might never think about. So anyone interested in the subject, might want to check the book out. We go on about the stigma of the inner city, and I think this book shows why so many people fled. I am not through the book yet, but so far it has alot of interesting facts. Here are some facts, and I am sure it was the same for Detroit at one time. Some facts -Chicago Housing Authority stopped maintaining the housing projects in the late 60's. In the apartment the family in the book lives in, the water from the spout in the bathtub never shut off, so the water would just pour non-stop as it did for years. -Infant Mortality rates at Henry Horner where higher then in many developing countries. -Chicago segregated schools based on race, and on purpose did not publish the phone numbers of black schools in the phone book and discouraged black parents from participating in their kids education. -Drop out rates at Chicago public schools was 40% -Kids in the projects often watched people get shot and killed in gang shoot outs, and residents where warned not to call 911 or gangs would get back at them. This was due to Chicago police being able to know who called 911 and they would often visit the apartment who called 911. -The kids recall the ritual of having to lie in the bedroom hallway of their apartment during gang shoot outs. -Kids also saw apartments get firebombed, and the Chicago Housing Authority would not restore the apartments. Just board them up. Anyway I still have to finnish the book and learn more stats. But its an interesting read, and I know not all inner city people lived in the projects. But you can really see why there is a stigma to the city, when you read books like this. The weirdest fact in the book I found so far is that western suburb commuters where afraid when the METRA trains went through the western part of Chicago. They where told that people from the projects might snipper the train one day. And the people in the projects where told that whites from the trains might snipper the projects one day. Anyway it is an interesting read. | ||
Jasoncw Member Username: Jasoncw Post Number: 257 Registered: 07-2005 |
That does look like an interesting read. I don't think people in housing projects are the types to move to the burbs though, I don't think they have the money (or they wouldn't be in a project in the first place). | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 867 Registered: 01-2005 |
Sounds like the Jeffries Project. | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 1509 Registered: 02-2006 |
Mike, If you're enjoying the book check out this recent thread: https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/5843/84673.html?11605350 67 Edit: I noticed you posted at the end of that thread, so you did see it. Similar story to your book, though. (Message edited by HYSTERIA on October 21, 2006) | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 1425 Registered: 06-2004 |
Kids in crisis? Check out Turning Stones: My Days and Nights with Children at Risk: A Caseworker's Story Is it this bad in other countries or is this an uniquely American condition? | ||
Warriorfan Member Username: Warriorfan Post Number: 548 Registered: 08-2005 |
White snippers?  | ||
Erikd Member Username: Erikd Post Number: 745 Registered: 10-2003 |
Most of the developed nations on Earth do not have the rampant violent crime and poor education that has become the norm in many areas of America, but America is not the the only country with these problems. There are also many third-world countries dealing with these same issues. Daily life in many American urban neighborhoods isn't that different from daily life in a third world urban neighborhood. Extreme poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, poor schools, rampant crime, crumbling infrastructure, poor (or non-existent) public services, and a general lack of hope are just a part of daily life. The article at the top of this thread just scratches the surface of the social problems in America. This article makes Chicago sound like hell on earth, and they didn't even mention the 2,500 people murdered in Chicago from 2000-2003. The number of people murdered in Chicago over 4 years is almost equal to the number of American military casualties in Iraq over 4 years. Chicago is one of the best cities in America, so you won't hear much about their astounding amount of violent crime. In any other developed country, a city with 2,500 murders in 4 years would be a national crisis, but is no big deal in a country that has racked up over SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND murders in the last thirty years. | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 2623 Registered: 10-2003 |
Isn't it amazing what people will gradually come to accept as "normal"? | ||
Fortress_warren Member Username: Fortress_warren Post Number: 65 Registered: 10-2006 |
Did the book mention Cabrini-Green? In '91 HUD tried an experiment. They gave enough money to C-G residents to rent in the burbs. Thinking was it would be easier to find work if you're surrounded by people who are working and where the jobs were. It worked, when the first ones out came back to visit C-G, the friends noticed they were better off financially. They had hundreds of people waiting in line for the yearly sign up day. So what happened? The politicians in Chicago saw votes and Federal money going to the burbs, they had CHA stop it. | ||
Jerome81 Member Username: Jerome81 Post Number: 1156 Registered: 11-2003 |
CHA continued that program fortress. Instead of grouping everyone in one location, they will now use credits and vouchers so that those in need can afford to live in better housing around others who have better jobs and hope for the future. It makes a ton of sense. When all you see is hell, crime, drugs and death, that becomes the norm. Get out of that, meet some good people with high hopes for the future and it all kinda is shared with everyone in the neighborhood. It is why, shortly, there will no longer be any CHA huge housing complexes. The state street/Dan Ryan I believe are completely gone, and Cabrini Green is soon to be vacated and demolished as well. | ||
Soulsauce Member Username: Soulsauce Post Number: 177 Registered: 05-2004 |
HBO made a movie from this book a few years back. The authors are adults now and have been interviewed on talk shows. Netflix may have a copy of the movie. | ||
Fortress_warren Member Username: Fortress_warren Post Number: 67 Registered: 10-2006 |
Quote: "CHA continued that program fortress". The article I read about eight years ago said they had closed it down. Sounds like they just did it in another form. Good for them. | ||
Kiplinger Member Username: Kiplinger Post Number: 41 Registered: 06-2006 |
With the exception of 1 or 2 buildings, Cabrini is history. Also, while the CHA program was progressive it also created its own set of problems. Not everyone saw it as positive. In particular with regards to Cabrini - a lot of people saw it as a thinly veiled opportunity to reclaim land that was steadily increasing in value (The 'new' Old Town). A lot of the Cabrini residents were promised quite a bit when they were relocated to Aurora (and other Western suburbs) but those areas also have a relatively high unemployment rate and not nearly the number of jobs available in closer suburb or in the City. Also, without a car Aurora and the far Western suburbs are nearly inaccessible to the city (The Metra didn't go out that far). If you like that book you should also check out 'The Pact'. Also an interesting read. |
