Although the responses to the first three parts of this series have been somewhat muted in terms of numbers, the quality of the comments by some very bright and dedicated people has indeed been heartening. Some of the critiques, however, are in the same vein of “Why take children out of their home communities; why not fix those communities instead?”
Allow me to be very clear. I’m in total and complete alignment with the notion of fixing dysfunctional communities. But I’m not making an “either/or construct.” What I’m proposing is something that could, in the short-term, save lives while (and until) those communities are fixed. Of course the real long-term solution is to repair families and communities so that it would no longer be necessary to relocate at-risk youth. The Harlem Children’s Zone is an example of a program that achieves these goals. Please, take a look at it online.
Not to brag or toot our own horns, but my wife and I put our money where our feelings are on the matter of strengthening communities by building our home in one of those communities — Hough — over 20 years ago. We didn’t care to be “arms-length liberals” who resided in a safe, suburban enclave while trotting down to the ’hood to help “those” poor people out. No, we wanted to live right down here on the killing floor where we figured we could do the most good — and we absolutely love it.
When I leave Hough I’m going to Heaven.
And since moving here we have put much time, effort and quite a bit of our own money into establishing a business “The Vineyards and Winery of Château Hough” that employs people coming out of incarceration as well as youth from the surrounding communities. We teach farming and soft skills, not winemaking. In the last decade we’ve assisted well over a hundred young people in getting, or remaining, on the right track with their lives. Again, not trying to toot my own horn — just stating facts.
And here’s another fact: We damn sure could use some help and support staying financially afloat during this time of pandemic. People who believe in our efforts should show it by putting a small amount of their money where their feelings are by purchasing some of our award-winning wines, even if they don’t drink. Give it as a present. Visit our website Chateauhough.com. Yes, a shameless plug.
And while I’m on the subject of businesses, we’ve partnered with a young woman, Maya Melton (who was raised across the street), by allowing her to incubate her own salad-making business dressedtukale.com. She makes delicious, healthy kale offerings right in the winery. And for all of you folks who are reticent about coming into ’hood, she delivers her salads and we ship our wines across town or across country. Just go to our websites. And thanks in advance for your support.
Now I’m going to piss some people off. I was raised in a down-the-way saloon on Scovill Avenue my father owned that we live upstairs over, so being involved in a small business is nothing new to me. But all of my life I’ve heard black people virtually scream, “We need to start our OWN businesses!” But if you don’t support such businesses when they are started, just shut the fuck up, OK? Whew, glad I finally got that off my chest.
But let me get back to the idea of removing at-risk pre-teens and teens from gang-infested neighborhoods. Say you as a parent have one (or two or more) youngsters who you’re struggling with, and are afraid of losing them to the streets. Do you wait until society (i.e. the government) devotes enough resources to fixing your ’hood and making it safe, or do you want to save the child you have right now?
As my friend Mary Anne Sharkey aptly pointed out in response to one of my posts, we’ve lived through programs like the Great Society, the War on Poverty and Model Cities, all allegedly implemented to end poverty. Yet we still have slums, marginalized and dangerous communities all across the United States. But rest assured that as soon as Joe Biden takes office we’ll have another concerted effort to fix inner cities.
This time, however, we should not allow the mistakes made in past programs undermine our efforts. In virtually every instance in the past, as soon as the politics of the country changed (which can happen every four years), all of the good intentions are abandoned as conservatives gut the funding for programs designed to eliminate poverty. We simply can’t allow that to happen again, and when poverty pimps show up, we should line them all up against the wall.
Know this: The problems and challenges of America’s inner cities have been decades — nay, centuries — in the making and they’re going to require much longer than four years fixing. How much longer I don’t know, but what we have to do is create the will to stay the course — no matter how long it takes.
Nevertheless, in the interim, until those positive changes take hold, we have to engage in stop-gap measures to save the lives of our at-risk youth. As much as I love Cleveland Public Schools (of which I am a proud product), I would not keep a son of mine in one of them past the 6th grade — it’s just too damn risky. The goal, the duty, of all parents is (or should be) to provide the best for their progeny, and if that means — in this day, age, and time — removing them from certain gang-infested neighborhoods, then so be it.
Can I guarantee this will work? No, but at least in my mind, it beats doing the alternative, which is nothing. I really can’t explain myself on this subject any clearer than I already have.
From CoolCleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author at http://NeighborhoodSolutionsIn
2 Responses to “MANSFIELD: The Answer to Inner-City Gun Violence, Part Four”
Lainie Breiner
Great ideas, great 4 articles on what needs to be done to turn things around. I wish more people would think like you. These problems are systemic and so ingrained in our culture that we must be persistent in working to change them….I am so alarmed at our lack of moral leadership, especially at the Federal level.
Katherine Warren
Dear Sir;
I am a former Clevelander who follows you through Cool Cleveland. I don’t always agree with your politics, but I heartily endorse your solutions in this matter. Please keep publishing them–maybe someday soon, people who can help fund your ideas will begin to support you. You are right!!!