The Chicago Project

Our class went to Cincinnati to learn more about urban poverty. This trip was a lot of fun. I meet some great people. Our first speaker was a African cop. he was involved in the riot that happened in Cincinnati. He was a interesting man. He dressed very professional. Where we meet him at he only lived down the street. All the speakers were pretty cool. They were involved in different kinds situations of poverty such as race, disease, addiction, mentality ,and etc.

We also talked to a man who was once homeless and he found his way out. He now helps out with the homeless shelters. He writes a homeless newsletter and the money goes to help these people out. He is also concerned about how many homeless people are discriminated against. I never knew homeless people were killed and hung by young teenagers my age. Also homeless people died in the cold. I also didn't know that 60% of the homeless in the shelter we attended had jobs. Most of them just had some bad money, relationships, or illness. I found it quite sad considering I used to think that homeless people were just lazy. I feel bad for ever thinking that and I take that thought back. Although there were a few rude homeless people I meet that thought the shelter was supposed to take care of them. In reality, the shelter is to give them a place were they can get started up again. Many of these people have talents such as this artist I meet. He was in his older age but he drew well for his age and he wasn't wearing glasses.

I believe that riots were still present because of racial inequality. After the people were digging themselves out of it, economic inequality was present. Examples of riots would be like in New Jersey there was a population of 1/3 black. One night a fight broke out in a diner. Those black youth who were involved damaged store windows and threw rocks at police cars on there way home, from that day on rioting continued and kept building more tension. Several hundred people gathered at a local park and the police told them to go home because the meeting was unlawful. Then the riots started again. The police were caught completely off guard. Later in the evening a white officers chased the black youth in the ghetto. He shot and wounded the black youth. The officer tried to leave for help and a mob beaten him and killed him with his own gun. Still that same night weapons were stolen from a factory. Police tried a truce to get the guns back. They were frightened on the fact of gun and weapon being supplied through the town. Not one gun was given back, so they called the National Guard to search through houses. Residents felt that their own constitutional rights were despoiled. Later the search was called off. Several weeks later the National Guard still searched for guns. This example proves the fear the white and police had on the African community. They did what they could do to get themselves out of the ghetto or at least tired to prove a point. This was the reason for riots still present.

Barack Obama is one the two democrat presidential candidates and I believe that he is for all the American people. He wants to help the economy and the poorer. He isn't using his race as an excuse to why he should be president. He wants to help all people included in America. He wants to ensure that children get there education, so they can read, use math skills, and write. He also wants people to have a equal share of jobs. Although companies say they don’t discriminate against race in the workplace but it is still present.

The African American experience wasn't always the best experience. First they were treated as slaves and as property. They didn't get any freedoms. African always tried to fight there way to freedom. Ever since the days of slavery, Africans tried to prove they were just as human as the whites. Around the 1890's to 1960's Africans were still being lynched, mistreated, abused, and killed. African slavery began to be not so common.