“Memphis had the third highest rate of
aggravated assault in 2012, with 1,151.9 cases per 100,000 residents. This was
up from the 1,032.3 cases per 100,000 in 2011. The city’s murder rate of 20.2
per 100,000 people and robbery rate of 514.4 per 100,000 people were also up
from 2011. The high levels of crime has people in the Memphis area feeling
uneasy. According to a recent Gallup survey, roughly 43% of Memphis area
residents reported feeling unsafe walking at night, the highest percentage of
all the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country and significantly higher
than the 28% across the U.S."-http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-10-most-dangerous-cities-in-america-2013-06-22
Everyone knows and understands that Memphis is not
a safe place. Juicy J local Memphis rapper couldn’t have put it better “If you
aint from here don’t come here and if you do better walk light”. On almost all
statistics that deal with crime, Memphis is somewhere at the top of the list whether
it be for murder or home invasions. It is quite simply that most of these
situations where created through racism as many African Americans were forced
into certain areas by Whites who did not want them in there neighborhood. This
separation from the general population led to a breeding ground of crime that
slowly took control of the area.
Soon after slavery was abolished places like Orange
Mound where the centers of the African American community boosting a more
concentrated amount of African Americans then anyone else in the country.
During that time Whites forced them into their own communities and gave them
obstacles at every turn, which stopped many families from moving on or
advancing in life. I feel that the situations that officials put the African
American population in soon after the abolishment of slavery has all led up to
this.
My question is do you feel the effects of slavery
are still deeply rooted as the cause of crime in these areas such as Orange
Mound/ North Memphis? How would you approach the situation as an official of
Memphis?
I would like to point out that Memphis' crime rate has consistently descended for the past several years. Moreover, I would say that the crime rate has less to do with actual crime and more to do with police response to crime. Across the nation, higher percentage of African Americans are charged for crimes than are any other race. Crime occurs in different ways, in different places, and by different people. But our criminal justice systems are designed to respond to specific groups of people (such as African Americans) and to specific types of crime. One example is drug charges: because drug charges are lucrative and relatively easy, more drug cases are filed and completed than are homicides. It is not really ethical or accurate to presume that African Americans commit crimes or that areas with high African American populations will have higher crime rates. These may be reported "facts," but the reality is that our law enforcement and criminal justice systems target African Americans.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there may be some effects of slavery today that can impact certain interactions between whites and blacks, I do not believe that the lingering effects of the institution are the driver behind crimes in Memphis. I believe that incentives that drive these criminal acts are rooted in the environments and circumstances in which the peoples of Orange Mound and North memphis experience. These areas that you suggested have high crime rates are known as "the bad parts of town" where generally low-income, grinding lifestyles are more prominent. Common attributes of these areas include drugs, violence and theft more often than others due to the pressing issues of the environment which surrounds them. This does not however have anything to do with race or slavery. These types of run down regions experience the same conflicts and higher crime rates regardless of race. However, stereotypes and targeting of african americans as more prone to violence and theft is a significant factor in many cases. But at the root of things, race and slavery is not the reason behind these criminal acts.
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to follow the argument made and the challenge begins with the title. Naming the article "Memphis the Hood" is problematic because the definition of a "hood" varies for people. Merriam-Webster.com defines the word "hood" as: "a neighborhood and especially an inner-city neighborhood." In this case, there are many inner-city neighborhoods to choose from in addition to Orange Mound and North Memphis including South Memphis, East Memphis, Midtown, and Downtown. Demographics and histories city-wide do vary so as to disprove the proposed theory.
ReplyDeleteIt is locally know that Orange Mound has a history of neighborhood pride. Inhabitants have willingly stayed in this part of town. Orange Mound was developed from a former plantation starting in 1890. This community is a place where historically, African Americans have been concentrated. Fortunately, it was not whites that forced them there; Orange Mound blossomed as a "self-contained community and huge source of pride for its residents who were a blend of professionals, businessmen, and lawyers" (Orange Mound).
Though I am familiar with Memphis' crime statistics, I cannot say that I find Memphis an unsafe city as a whole. Be mindful that the Memphis-area and Shelby County are completely different statistical areas. What Juicy J sensibly suggested for this place is advice possibly directed to his enemies. Juicy J, as many Memphis rappers, market themselves as openly territorial and prideful. The threatening persona albeit is not the most comforting, yet I would confidently argue that the given line was for entertainment purposes.
For this case, I would say that the quote is applicable to all cities nationwide. I would recommend when visiting anywhere that one be cautious.
The position taken is buried under assumption; more focus evidence is necessary for support.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hood
http://www.orangemoundtennessee.com/website/files/history.shtml
Maybe its because I grew up in a rough neighborhood in Memphis that I feel that it's just common sense not to walk around outside at night, especially when you're carrying anything of value. Like most animals we should have a fear of possible dangers lurking in the dark.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jennifer that most people in Memphis have a sense of pride for their community. The older generation like to decorate their porches with plants and the younger generations are quick to represent their neighborhood.
In response to the crime rate regarding murders and home invasion, the majority of those crimes are not random. Its usually a vendetta or dispute between two or more people who know each other. There is no racism involved where blacks are forced to live in "bad" areas. People leave Memphis and comeback all the time. People simply lack the ability to communicate and find solutions to their problems without resorting to violence, which is a nationwide problem.
While I do not think that crimes in Memphis are the current cause of crime rates, but think that slavery is indeed rooted in the background of the issue. Jonathan notes that areas such as Orange Mound are areas that have been run down and are inhabited by low income people and are places in which we can expect high crime rates. If this is so, how these did concentrated ‘hoods’ come to be? Slaves were indeed pushed into these neighborhoods and forced to live there. This type of racial urban planning is very apparent in Memphis today; you can drive two blocks north of our very college and find government housing and low income neighborhoods. The neighborhoods in which former slaves were forced into have turned into these modern day areas which we consider the slums or hood of Memphis. While slavery may not be in any way rooted in the decision of a person to cause a crime, I can see a link between slavery and crime in that these forced living areas have evolved into a city very clearly physically racially divided.
ReplyDelete