Wednesdays

On Wednesdays we have debriefing meetings.  We use this time to go over things that can be improved, that we may not be doing correctly, but most importantly we use this time to talk or vent about our experiences so far.  It's really nice to have these meetings because the interns aren't always working in the same neighborhoods so it's interesting to hear about the different experiences that go on.  My roommate and another girl have been working in Prichard by themselves.  This is a very scary and desolate area.  The city has gone bankrupt for the second time and the police force is known for being corrupt.  Arson, rapes, and homicides occur daily in this neighborhood.  Some streets are completely vacant and abandoned.  People don't walk around frequently so it's almost like a rundown ghost town.  These two girls have been working in this area by themselves and have been pretty terrified the entire time.  They do run into some nice household who invite them in, but they are always being hassled and/or warned about their presence in the neighborhood.

Another girl, who was actually my partner on Tuesday, was told not to speak in one of the neighborhoods that I was in (MLK).  As she is white, she was told that she should be seen and not heard unless she was spoken to and that people would feel threatened by her presence and that it would probably be safer for her to not stay in the neighborhood.

We do get thanked by the families 'for making a difference' or asked what their child's participation does and it's definitely a tough question.  Some people view our presence in the neighborhoods as if we were Crusaders trying to rid the world of problems, but that's really not our intention.  They think we want to be in the neighborhood to get the experience of a different lifestyle... but then after we get our experience we go right back to our privileged lives and talk about how changed we have become when we really haven't made any change for them and we leave them and their neighborhood in the same state before our presence.  This makes sense.  How would you feel if people kept coming into your neighborhood to get a 'life-altering experience,' they are changed by it, and then peace out?  Imagine if this happened often, you would feel used too.  And that's how a lot of them totally feel.  This instance was discussed pretty thoroughly in our debriefing today and our boss/director explained our purpose the best.  We're here to make the children feel that they are a part of something, part of a change-- that they can make a difference.  We do use the data (13 years and ongoing) to study the true problems in the neighborhoods to better provide programs to alleviate these problems.  We want to limit the risk factors that lead the youth in these low-income neighborhoods into futures involving incarceration, poor health, and even death.  Giving the children something to be a part of year after year provides them with a purpose.  Most of these children have nothing.  They don't have t-ball practice on Tuesdays and violin lessons on Thursdays.  A majority of the kids don't even know their birthdays-- why-- because what do you remember about your birthday?  Presents and birthday parties... these children don't get those.  Most of them have never had a birthday party--- so why would remembering the date be important?  Providing them with a purpose and with the important role as a participant year after year allows them to indirectly have a voice that many of these children usually don't get.  This discussion really hit home and even brought an intern to tears.  It's the little things that make all the difference.