|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
Issues/Statistics"Fewer students graduated and unemployment is 50% higher than in the rest of the city." Many issues plague Anacostia. Household sizes and poverty levels are significantly higher compared to the rest of Washington, D.C. Although school enrollment is high in Anacostia, far fewer students graduate and unemployment is 50% higher than in the rest of the city. Additionally, Anacostia home values are way below the Washington, D.C. norm, as are median incomes. Other issues afflicting Anacostia include the following:Location. Part of Anacostia's current crisis stems from its location -- it is separated from the bulk of the city by the river. This location has caused the community to become an out-of-sight host for the city's mentally ill, indigent elderly, public housing, impounded cars, and sewage. "Too many government programs charged with helping Anacostia have addressed only symptoms and not the real causes." Drugs. The drug culture greatly influences the increasing amount of violence within communities like Anacostia. By some estimates, 35% of Black boys and 11% of Black girls between the ages of 10 and 17 regularly use drugs as a way to numb themselves from the effects of their daily reality.High Rate of Incarceration. Blacks continue to be incarcerated at a rate disproportionate to their number in the general population. "These days, a young Black male stands a greater chance of being killed right in his own neighborhood than in any other place in the world." Violence. Based on Kids Count Data Book statistics for the District of Columbia, a bad situation is getting much worse. Over the last 10 years, teen violent death rate is up nearly tenfold; juvenile violent crime arrest rate is up 50%; and the teen birth rate has doubled. And a 1996 report researched and written by Motivational Educational Entertainment, Inc. (MEE) shared some alarming information, "These days, a young Black male stands a greater chance of being killed right in his own neighborhood than in any other place in the world."Flight of Core Values. Over twenty years ago, churches were the keystone of Black communities, serving as the places where strong bonds were created among families. But later the Black middle class left the inner city for the suburbs, pulling out of the churches, politics, schools, and neighborhoods. As a result, many small and weak congregations remained. Today's generation of Black youth is the first to feel that church is irrelevant to them, so they simply do not attend. "Never has the African proverb, 'It takes a village to raise a child,' become so relevant as today in describing the need for adult involvement in the Black community." Single-Parent Families. Never has the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child," become so relevant as today in describing the need for adult involvement in the Black community. Politicians draw attention to the high percentage of children born out of wedlock to single-parent households as the foundation for many negative social issues. In addition, a lack of extended networks has made a difference. Many single-parent households in Anacostia lack the important financial and emotional support once present in this community. "Too many government programs charged with helping Anacostia have addressed only symptoms and not the real causes." "Pop" Culture. Research shows that Black teens from low-income families consume the majority of their information via media. On average, they attend 3-4 movies a month, purchase 2-3 rap albums or CDs a month, and watch more than 70 hours of television a week. So while the networks tout the occasional positive series, the paramount question is, how many negative and violent images are hitting the target population relative to positive ones? Violent and negative imagery win hands down. Lack of Coordinated Effort. Too many government programs charged with helping Anacostia have addressed only symptoms and not the real causes. In addition to government, nonprofits aimed at improving circumstances in Anacostia have worked hard on specific issues affecting the inner city but does not have a strong collaboration with each other to gain more leverage. Some have been successful, others have not. |
||||||
|
The House DC, Inc. P.O. Box 30958 Washington, D.C. 20030 |
|||||||
