Just another day in the hood.

I was walking down the street going to catch my bus to go to work.  I have to walk three blocks to catch my bus and today it was warm and sunny about 71 degrees.  I love walking through my hood and talking to my neighbors. 


I live in on of the last few houses on my street.  The house on the corner of 13th and Bell the Row houses on this street used to be an eye sore but finally someone fixed them and made them decent places to live.  The House across the street from me was abandoned for several years. A housing redevelopment company fixed it up and turned it into a farm house.  This house recently sold for $80,000 which is high for houses in my community.  I walk to the next corner walk pass the bar which is open from 10 am until 2 am.  I pause at the field on Robinson and Bell and say a silent prayer for Jamal Holyfield who was shot to death at that spot on July 7, 2009 at the age of 17. There are a lot of places that have become make shift memorials of young and not so young people who have had their lives stolen in homicides.  Jamal was set up by some girl and shot several times. Several people were out that night yet no one saw anything or so they say.  His case remains unsolved.  His mother will never be the same and every year on the anniversary of his death she is consumed with anger at the girl who set him up.  All we know is her name is Meecka.

A fist fight breaks out on the second block close to the pizza shop.  Two women fighting over money for beer.  The kids are in school so at least only adults are around.  I see the same women sitting out on the porch every day they are always drinking and fighting loudly.  I often wonder if they lived on this street in July of 2009 when Jamal was there and if they saw what happened.  No matter what time I walk past their home these same two women are sitting out on their porch or fighting in the street.  I feel bad for them because they seem as though they have nothing to do that is productive.  I wonder if they have ever held jobs or do they received SSI.  I wonder why they don't find something positive to do with their time rather than sit outside and drink all day.  I feel sad because these women seem to have no life at all and all welfare even SSI keeps you broke and hungry.

I come to the Hoarder House where they have at least 20 or 30 broken lawn mowers and bikes locked on the iron fences.  I remember the husband used to sell these mowers but he died a few years ago and no one has yet to clean up the mess or sell them.  They could have taken those to Josh's steel and could have made some money now its just an eye sore. The trees are overgrown and are hanging on the Power lines.  I wonder when they are going to cut it before the power line breaks and people lose power.

Finally I reach the end of my journey the playground and park and my bus stop.  A shooting had taken place earlier this week a few blocks down on Verona.  The oldest son of my friend Desiree was shot inside his house.  He survived.  Today at the park was three girls and a boy smoking weed and talking about various subjects.  I love my neighborhood and my community.  I have lived in the same zip code my whole life.  Yes I am tired of the violence and watching people I love lose their children or have their child shot.  Every day I pray that we can say that Urban Violence is a thing of the past.  We are always going to have our problems but we can solve them working with each other like the old days. 

Why do you care about the hood? We are set up to die anyole way?

I am asked by some people from the Hood. "Why do you care about the hood?" They begin.  "Ain't nothing you can do about it anyway because we are set up to die any ole way?"  I explain to them that I care about what is happening in the hood and its time someone speak out on our behalf. They, like other's have stated.  "Only people who care about the hood is the people who live here. The rest of America either don't know or don't show that they care about the hood."  This is a common belief in the hood.  I also used to feel this way. However, I no longer believe this.


In 2008, I was a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton, and as she started losing her Primary I joined a forum for Hillary Supporters.  I never expected what was to happen next. I told everyone I was from the hood and actually began to become very popular.  I met my best friend, a Republican, on that site.  She and I were outsiders on a forum where most of the people were life long Democrats.  I voted Democrats most times but not always and I tended to vote for the person I thought would be the best for the Hood.  I always voted because people died for the right for me to cast that ballot.  Jen was the first Republican I had ever really met.  She was the Least Racist person I ever met and she didn't hate poor people.  She and I remain best friends to this day.  I began to think if the media can lie on Jen maybe the Republicans didn't hate poor people and people of color. 

I became face book friends with a lot of  people both Democrats and Republican and what I found were racist people on both sides of the aisle and that most people in both parties are good people. I also found a lot of people who were concerned with the hood and poor people in general.  However, most of them blamed the other for what was going on. "Its the Democrat's fault they run the Cities."  I guess they forget the Poor Rural whites who's lives are not so much different than the people in the hood.  Why do they over look that? Because the Poor Whites are live in areas where the Republican's control.  Its the Republicans fault because they are so racist and they hate the poor." Forgetting that Bernie Saunders and many other Democrats believe that all blacks live in the ghetto forgetting that there are millions of white people who live in the Hood and they are no different than the blacks that live there.  Democrats ignore Urban issues because they listen to middle class black people who tell them that their is no such thing as "Black on black crime" and for them to talk about it makes your party a racist.  Apparently according to some members of Black Lives Matter, random white people come into the hoods of America to shoot unarmed black people.  I do not know where that crazy theory comes from but we do not appreciate it.  Object to the name Black on Black, Urban Violence is more that blacks killing other blacks.  Its also Latino killing Latino, Asian killing Asian, and white killing white.  CRIPS are multinational and are in all 50 states even in states where there are no black people. I have warned several Democrats that they are playing with our votes and that we do not like being ignored or discarded.  It is very unfortunate most people fall in line with party politics instead of what is good for poor people. 

I have found Republicans to be very interested in what is going on here but they are often to concerned with the life of the unborn instead of worrying about the people already here. Its hard for people in the hood to worry about people having abortions when so many of our little kids, teenagers, and young people are adults but of course they don't think so.  I really just wish both sides would listen to the people who live in these neighborhoods before they listen to others who have never lived here or who moved out in the 70s.

It's Hard to Stop selling drugs and Fighting

I sold drugs from the age of 14 until the age of 48. I fought from the age of 5 until 52. I struggle with both till this day especially fighting. 

Today I had an issue at work and this back stabbing female Causal decided to spread rumors about me and lie on me.  

I was angry and wanted to quit my job and go fight this woman but I didn't.  

I am ghetto with a capital G and decided and thought of Revenge.  I knew I only had to make a few phone calls and we would have fought her bad. 

Three people stopped me from fighting and they were my Pastor,  my Best Friend,  and my teacher. 

While I was in my anger faze I was talking to my boss over the phone and she told me I need my job and not to allow anyone to cost me my income. 

"I don't need my job I have ways to make money. " that was literally the first time in five years that it entered my mind to sell drugs. 

I wasn't being mean or angry but I meant it.  I will NOT stay at a job just because. I would rather sell drugs then be unhappy.  Now the truth is I would find another job before I resorted to selling drugs but it bothered me that it came to my mind so quickly. 

I'm a Christian who is struggling to change my life but when I'm angry,  scared,  or hurt I think of either one or both.