Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Nicholas Hauman
Prof. Newport
English 102-09
24 April 2017
especially in modern times with recent strives for rights for all Americans. For many years,
however, our country has neglected to analyze one group: African Americans. By no means are
African Americans and other minorities oppressed in comparison to 100 years ago, yet we still
see a stark difference in income, crime, and family structure when compared to the majority
Caucasian population in America. This is seen to an extent in large, industrial cities such as Los
Angeles, New York, and Chicago. Apart from larger cities, this can be experienced in textbook
form in rustbelt cities such as Gary, Indiana, Detroit Michigan, East St. Louis, Illinois, and more
Milwaukee experiences much of these effects on its inner city populations due to an
entrapment that has developed the working class African American community to suppress itself.
This effect is created by poor schools, poor infrastructure, and a broken family structure. With a
lack of knowledge, access to basic goods, and broken homes, this has created a cycle of poverty
that is applicable in all inner city struggles across the country. In response to this, many city
reports have been tapered to show increased funding in gentrification. This is seen in housing
projects as well as in neighborhood transformation such as Brewer Hills and Story Hill on
Milwaukees middle east side. However, this strategy does not always work and in most cases
makes the wounds of poverty fester even more. Just because Milwaukee has enough funding in
Hauman 2
its budget to gentrify in these areas should it? In the end, the answer is absolutely not. This
evidence can be proved through many previous failed attempts on gentrification seen in cities
such as Chicago that have failed. In some cases, such as the infamous Cabrini Green, it often
makes the situation worse by condensing crime into a confined space. It can be compared to
African Americans.
One major catalyst for the systematic poverty in failed industrial cities is due to the
failure of diversity. City segregation is not necessarily encouraged, but can often be found due to
outdated tactics that sadly have become nearly permeant. This can all be traced back to the Great
Migration. The Great Migration is a time period in which many African Americans migrated
north to the industrial power house of the United States Steel era. During this time, racial
tensions were still extremely prevalent carrying into as far as the 1970s. In the early effects of
this, a tactic known as redlining came into effect. Redlining is a process practiced by real estate
agents in cities such as Milwaukee and Chicago to limit the areas in which African Americans
Hauman 3
lived. Quite literally, real estate agents would trace a red line around the oldest, most run down
areas of the city. From here, the agents would target newly residential African Americans in these
areas in order to keep property value higher in newer areas preserved for Caucasian residents.
Looking forward into the future, statistics show that these area codes that were targeted towards
minorities still hold true today (Census, 1). Furthermore, these areas still continue to have the
same dramatic effects on income. It has gotten to the point where in Milwaukee, extreme poverty
is seen in inner city area codes such as 53216 and 53206 where redlining was targeted to,
incomes tank to an all-time city low of a median household income of around 23 thousand
dollars per. This statistic can be compared to wealthier areas on the outskirts of Milwaukee such
as Elm Grove with a median household income of well over 100 thousand dollars (Cubit, 1).
gentrification. Gentrification is a
Hauman 4
system which has good intentions, but fails to fix the issue. Instead of addressing the issue at
hand being the strong segregation that carries over into the 21st century, we are simply covering
up the issue at hand. Instead of developing a system for minority-filled inner city neighborhoods
residents to flourish, we simply replenish their neighborhoods aesthetically. In short, we are not
helping the people financially, but rather making their situation seem less severe. Most residents
of gentrifying neighborhoods do not move. (Holland, 1). Therefore, in most cases gentrification
can be pointless, or even detrimental for inspiring those in segregated areas to branch out to
diversify other areas of their city. In an analogy, we are polishing a pair of old work boots to call
them church shoes. It may pass off aesthetically, but at the end of the day they are still a pair of
Often these boots cost its cities hundreds of thousands, and sometimes, millions of
taxpayer dollars (Robinson-Nicolini, 13). In reality, this does not stop the cause of poverty and
lack of diversity at its source. Along with this, gentrification can make those residents living in
the area accept their economic situation and live comfortably with a disadvantaged demographic.
They begin to feel that their once uncomfortable lives are now bearable due to a shiny new
sidewalk or new roads for example. This becomes dangerous because it threatens the ambition of
youth who emerge in low-income areas because all they see is that their situation is appearing to
become better. By investing in making the appearance of low-income areas more streamlined and
new, cities are wasting time, resources, and money on a tactic that simply does not solve the
issue behind the cracked sidewalks, paint fades houses, and vast majorities of minority
inhabitants that perform a litany of crimes in their own communities just to stay alive. Through
gentrifying areas, development can decrease the desire for hard work and can extinguish the
Hauman 5
flame for change. Essentially, we become comfortable wearing that same pair of work boots to
church every Sunday because our shoes are shiny just like everyone elses.
The main issue with gentrification is in its dynamics. Gentrification pushes to implement
money and beautification into the inner cities. While this makes sense on paper, in practice this
creates an issue of environmental change. This leads to the creation of modern day plantations.
Nowadays, this describes a system that fosters poverty in a given setting. The most common
example of these modern day plantations are found in housing projects. More commonly dubbed
as affordable housing these projects are refugees to those in poverty, both good and bad. While
this may sound like a safe haven to those in poverty and it is designed to be, but more often than
not poverty is closely associated with crime. Looking more into housing projects, by creating a
system that has great amounts of people under the poverty line. Without the proper resources to
get out of this, they will turn into crime. Thus housing projects are feeding grounds for those
Having this information and countless numbers of statistics, it can be concluded that it is
unwise to continuously invest in these acts of gentrification. While there are pushes to change
the definition of gentrification and mold this into programs such as after school clubs to keep
children off of the streets when their parents are not around. In reality, gentrification just doesnt
work in the inner cities. In reality the best method is giving those in poverty the resources to
succeed and creating an environment that fosters growth instead of simply giving those who ask
what they want. Its like giving a child who keeps getting bad grades candy. Instead of just
giving the kid candy in hopes they will get better grades, one must look on why the child keeps
Hauman 6
getting bad grades and devising a plan to help the child to get better grades whether it be
What Are the Causes and Solutions of Poverty in the Inner City?
In short, there are many various reasons behind each individual situation that explains
why their location or lifestyle is the way it is. In an even shorter explanation, the cycle of poverty
and lack of diversity begins around the production of strong, smart, and resilient youth.
However, for the vast majority of those African Americans or other minorities in Milwaukee for
example, it becomes clear. The main reason why the vast majority of inner city neighborhoods
consist of minorities are due to a lack of schooling, poor infrastructure, and the fall of the two-
parent household. These reasons can be studied in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is arguably one
of the most (if not the most) segregated city in America. This is due to each of these factors as
A recent survey stated that a staggering 100% of people stated that Milwaukee Public
Schooling needs to be reformed and 60% said it was the main reason why the inner city is so
hostile and dangerous while only 15% disagreed and others did not know the cause (Hauman).
From this, it can be said that the inner city needs to be educated. Education is vital in the growth
and development of future generations. In this day and age, it is becoming harder and harder for
young black minds to emerge from the self-inflicted oppression that they face in the classroom.
Much of this is due to unequal distribution of city funds to schools. The Milwaukee Public
Schools program disperses its taxpayer provided budget with no priority to schools that have the
lower test scores. Even with this, sadly those exemplary public schools who receive equal
funding still often do not have so exemplary test scores compared to national averages.
Hauman 7
Furthermore, these schools that need more funding have the lowest test scores in this relationship
often need better funding due to outdated technology, not because the staff or teaching style is
more effective in one demographic. Because of this, schools that receive equal funding based on
state budget often do not have priority funding. This flaw can be noted by the No Child Left
Behind act that states for equal distribution to all schools where schools with lower test scores
often do not get priority in test preparation and funding. This combined with a statistic that
shows on average that black students are much more likely to experience suspensions,
expulsions, drop-outs (Camera, 1) creates a bleak picture of educational opportunity for black
students around the country. (Cooper, 1). on What seems to make limited sense is the standard
curriculum that is instituted to these schools due to requirements based on consensus. This is
where charter and specialty schools shine. Specifically, they implement a teaching strategy that is
tapered to each demographic. From personal experience, I have logged much volunteer work
through my old high school at an institution known as Milwaukee College Prep School or MCP.
Located in the heart of Milwaukees inner city, this school utilizes its diverse staff and volunteers
to provide depth to education of its students. This is seen in the introduction of elite high
schoolers from top-tier high schools such as my alma mater Marquette University High School
and Divine Savior Holy Angels High School predominately. Although predominantly African
American, MCP strives to cater to a wide range of students from middle class Caucasian to
working class Hispanic and Asian families alike. There is no stereotypical face of a MCP student.
In short, MCP creates a textured curriculum that students can experience that will enrich their
lives beyond their background. Schools such as MCP utilize a ridged curriculum that is targeted
on reading and writing in the lower grades and becomes tapered to math and sciences as children
grow in the curriculum. Programs such as this also provide a strong support system with
Hauman 8
countless role-models that push each student on a personal level to achieve personal goals each
In regards to youth, it becomes vital that a stable life begins in the home. Due to extreme
poverty in some cases, students often experience living from household to household and in
some cases vehicles and shelters. The instability that children experience at home is a direct link
to self-esteem and view of the world. There are countless stories of childrens Christmas presents
being stolen from cars and homes, a string of domestic conflict between parents that creates a
hostile family environment at best. In a young man or womans life, one role model can be the
Violence: SMILE Documentary [Directed by Marquis Daisy], this topic is discussed. The story is
told of an African American family in the inner city and an event that almost destroyed their
family as a whole. The brother of Arniz Newton, an ivy league graduate from the infamous
Riverdale area of the south side of Chicago, was released from jail on his third strike just in time
to attend his brothers wedding. After a fight a week later with the new bride the brother went
crazy, leading to a series of outbreaks that targeted the death of his wife, best friend and Arniz
Hauman 9
and his wife. In a drunken rage after a game of dice he murdered his best friend who stays
unnamed, and forced his wife in a police chase ending in front of their house. Threatening to kill
his wife he changed his intentions. His last words were to tell his sisters Laramie Newton and
Azzitta Newton that he loved them and took his own liferight there in the car in front of his
wife. This event nearly destroyed the family, causing great pain down to the morgue where he
appeared to be smiling. Family tensions rose when his service was held in a church and he was
buried instead of his personal wishes of not having a service and being cremated. To add a
melancholy ironic twist to the story, his service was held two weeks later in the same church that
belonging
for its high-speed railway shutdown as well as Mayor Tom Barretts push for a trolley to be
implemented downtown. Milwaukee experienced a massive expenditure in 2011 and 2012 that
Hauman 10
pushed for new hybrid busses to be utilized citywide. However, another study shows that only
20% of residents said they would feel safe taking Milwaukee Public Transport. This is vital due
to the lack of healthy food stores in the inner city. There are a limited amount of grocery stores
that provide fresh produce and sufficient dietary variety for its residents in the inner city. The
only main grocery stores in area codes such as 53218 (Milwaukees North West Side) and 53206
(Milwaukees Uptown and Near East Side) are limited to Aldis, Save Alot, and Lenas Food
Market. Apart from these options, fresh produce is extremely hard to come by. What is even
more shocking is the presence of fast food in the inner city. On nearly every street corner lies a
McDonalds, Taco Bell, Popeyes Chicken or another chain-style food restaurant. Along with this,
the infamous corner store becomes the staple of neighborhood dining. Here a visitor may find a
variety of gas station snacks, sodas, and frozen foods littered with trans fats and other complex
ingredients that appear to be of a foreign language. It is cheaper and easier to purchase a two-liter
bottle of soda than it is to buy a bunch of bananas in most cases. Due to the lack of safe
transportation and the high cost of insurance of the Milwaukee area codes, residents of the inner
city are often limited in dining options. Along with the lack of food stores, the inner city also
experiences the lack of small businesses, restaurants, and shopping which draws residents into
nicer areas for better consumer options. This leads to a domino effect as the malls tend to move
outward to the middle and upper class suburbs that surround Milwaukee. This can be seen in the
death of Milwaukee Mall and Grand Avenue Mall to the development of malls such as
Brookfield Square and the newly completed Von Maur. This process designed to be beneficial
simply draws poverty from its core thus pushing the redline further away from its source. A
more beneficial route would be the growth of businesses in the inner city which may mix up
Hauman 11
classes and races at the citys core creating a mixing effect on the citys demographics as a
whole.
There is no easy fix to end the past effects of segregation in this country. It can be said
that our countries past is still felt in urban culture today. This is shown in the inner city crime
rates skyrocketing and the safety of its citizens at risk. Generational poverty is a direct result of
the past effects of segregation. Even though gentrification does help to create a sense of pride in
the inner city, it is a stretch to say that gentrification can counteract the systematic wave of inner
while giving the proper resources for youth to climb out of their neighborhoods into a more
comfortable lifestyle. This can be achieved by the mending of the public schooling system, the
Works Cited
Wisconsin QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. N.p., 1 Jan. 2017. Web. 12 Apr.
2017.
Downs, Kenya. "Why Is Milwaukee So Bad for Black People?" NPR. NPR, 05 Mar.
Planning, Cubit. "53218 Income Statistics." 53218 Income Statistics - Current Census
Moore, Joan, Ph.D. "Bearing the Burden: How Incarceration Weakens Inner-City
Robinson, Sharon, and Mark Nicolini. "2017 Budget." N.p., 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 10
Apr. 2017.
Urban Ventures. "Facts About Poverty." Urban Ventures. Urban Ventures, 2017. Web.
17 Apr. 2017.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZRIKkm5yCw>.