Yesterday was one of those rare days that I heard from all my adult children. They are busy living their lives and raising their families. I thought about raising them in the Hood.
I was a poor single parent, who lived a lot of places although in the same zip code. No matter what part of 15104 we lived, gun violence and the drug trade was always there. Sitting outside gunshots ringing out and everyone hitting the ground. My two and a half year son witnesses a drug bust across the street; He told everyone about the "Ninjas breaking into the Broken House" describing the undercover Task Force police officers dressed in black ninja outfits pulling a raid on the Crack house. We had to worry about the color of clothes they put on their body we were not allowed to have red clothes on because the gang members would threaten the kids.
As they grew up and started school I worried about the fighting and bullying that happened so often at schools as well as racism from some teachers at school.
The fights got worse in highschool but as a parent I was terrified of the children outside especially the boys. You not only have to worry about your sons and daughters being shot you have to worry about your kids entering the Drug trade or becoming a member of a gang. I was lucky my kids were nerds and preferred the company of nerds.
There were plenty of time when outside violence did not threaten our kids; Trips to Kennywood Park, a local amusement park, Church Picnics, Christmas celebrations, and Trick or Treating on Halloween.
The hardest thing for a parent happened after a homicide when the children and teenagers would beg you to move but you knew that you could not move anywhere else.
Yes growing up in the Hood is tough but it is home.
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