September 11, 2007

REFLECTIONS ON MY NEIGHBORHOOD

REFLECTIONS ON MY NEIGHBORHOOD
Fort Greene is a small neighborhood that is bordered by the East River and downtown Brooklyn. It is made up of Hispanics, African Americans and a significant amount of people of European descent. A large part of Fort Greene area is made up of new immigrants. They have brought a large number of businesses to this community.
Fort Greene has dealt with many crime-related problems. For instance, drug wars, murders, rapes, gang-on-gang hate, and the abandonment of babies. Crime has caused this neighborhood to become one of the worst communities in Brooklyn. Many families have been torn apart due to the violent crimes caused by drugs and gang violence.
About eight years ago I knew a Hispanic woman who was a mother, a prostitute and a drug user living in the Fort Greene area. She was a kind and giving woman who cared very dearly for her children. She never caused any trouble. One night she entered a black limo on Park and Carlton Ave. and was never seen alive again. A couple of weeks later her body was found raped and pumped with rat poison. Her children were too young to fully have a memory of her. A few years prior to this incident, a young woman I knew was thrown off one of the Fort Greene Project buildings near Park Ave. because of drugs. My cousin, a young black man was a drug dealer. He sold drugs to support his family. He lived in the fort Greene Projects. He was killed in the early 1990's because of violence and drugs. He left behind a daughter who is the spitting image of him. When is this going to stop?
The Fort Greene area is full of so many historical landmarks that it should be praised instead of being feared because of the crime that is pouring out of it. Some of our landmarks are Fort Greene Park, the Monument, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and the streets--named after slaveowners and veterans of war. Fort Greene, Brooklyn was once known for being the capital of fashion and some of the best artwork. Many famous artists moved here to live and still live here now. We even have Pratt Institute for artists and planners to continue their studies in that field. Yet Myrtle Avenue has become such a crime-plagued area during the night. Cops are even scared to walk the beat by themselves.
In 1964, a New York Times article, "The Most Dangerous Neighborhood in New York", by Nathan M. Adam identifies 56,436 people living in Fort Greene. 6,200 of these people lived in the housing projects. Of the total number of people in Fort Greene, there were 25,000 whites, 20,000 blacks and 9,500 Puerto Ricans. In 1990, in the borough of the total population was 2,300,664, of whom 873,671 lived in the housing Projects. In just ten years, the number of people on public assistance in Fort Greene has grown from 314,398 in 1990 to 415,774 in 1994.
There are a number of community leaders working to make Fort Greene a place of hope and energy. Ed Carter a youth organizer and local historian is a valuable asset to the Fort Greene Community. He is the director of Fort Greene Youth Patrol, Inc., a community development corporation that was started in the late 1960's when Ed Carter and others saw a need for change in the community. In the center he and others have started many programs to give the children of Fort Greene's public housing and others from other places in Brooklyn a chance. He has had after school activities, summer young employment and food centers for the homeless. Mr. Carter has created a second home for those who didn't have one.
Many important people have seen the value in this area and have come to visit the people of Fort Greene. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesses Jackson are just a few. This was one of the last stops Dr. King made before he was killed. By knowing this historical information don't you think Fort Greene should recognized as a wonderful place and not a crime haven?

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