Theme Of In The Ghetto

The book that I am nominating for the NCTE Orbis Pictus Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for children is Ghettoside: A true story of Murder in America. I nominated this book based on four key factors accuracy, organization, design, and style. These factors were inspirational in creating a piece of literature that will amaze and inform its reading audience. Ghettoside was published January 15, 2015.

When the Nazi’s were raiding the ghetto they were killing the sick and shooting people who were trying to run away. They threw away our luggage and forced us on trains that went to labor camps. We were forced to work and were killed if we stopped working. If we were sick we were shipped off and killed. They would line us up and shoot us to save bullets. If we tried to talk to a soldier to complain we would be killed right on the spot. As I am writing this they are rounding up to be checked to make sure that we are hea *insert blood stain here*

Shelby defines the ghetto as a primarily black, urban neighborhood with high concentrations of poverty. He identifies two inherent problems, extreme chronic poverty and the behavior demonstrated by residents deemed as deviations from mainstream norms, such as engaging in crime. Furthermore, Shelby refers to two common criticisms concerning ghetto poverty. One asserts that poverty is a symptom of moral depravity in the urban poor as beneficiaries in a perpetual welfare state. Another concentrates on the failure of government to fight poverty and insists on more public assistance. Shelby distinguishes his argument by focusing on the actions of ghetto resident through the principles of justice. He introduces the concept of society in terms of a cooperative scheme in which participants benefit from a mutual advantage. It then follows that individuals who benefit from the scheme must adhere to the civic obligations which enables such a scheme to develop. Consequently, refusal to adhere to these norms of society while benefiting from it violates the principle of reciprocity.

After reading the essay “The Ghetto Made Me Do It” written by Francis Flaherty, I thought differently about the situation than I had before hearing both sides of this tragic story. My perspective changed from being bias toward Felicia Morgan to feeling a sense of sympathy for her. However, regardless of what defense there is to this story, it does not change how ruthless and tragic this homicide actually was.

The article “The Ghetto Made Me Do It” comprises of context and analysis of the criminal case of Lisa Morgan. Lisa Morgan, a progenitor of the harsh ghetto is being convicted with six armed robberies and a murder, but this article questions if this happened because of her personal responsibility, or society’s responsibility, or lack thereof, to effectively handle young, black, and poor children. One particular attorney, Robin Shellow, goes into detail about exactly what Lisa had to go through. Her Mom shot her dad, her uncle was murdered, her sister’s boyfriend was shot and paralyzed from the neck down, she was raped at aged 12 (1). These are all things that Morgan had to face growing up. The author then introduces the idea of the “ghetto defense” The “ghetto defense” basically states that (in regards to Morgan’s case) “… violence is a norm, an occurrence so routine that Morgan’s 17 years of exposure to it have rendered her not responsible for her actions” (1).

Music is an art form and source of power. Many forms of music reflect culture and society, as well as, containing political content and social message. Music as social change has been highlighted throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s the United States saw political and socially oriented folk music discussing the Vietnam War and other social issues. In Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s reggae developed out of the Ghetto’s of Trench town and expressed the social unrest of the poor and the need to over-through the oppressors. The 1980’s brought the newest development in social and political music, the emergence of hip-hop and rap. This urban musical art form that was developed in New

Tommie Shelby is an American philosopher and a professor of African American studies at Harvard University. In his article “Justice, Deviance, and the Dark Ghetto” Shelby discusses poor, black neighborhoods that have persisted in America for decades due to few public policy efforts to make things better. In his article Shelby brings up two approaches to this dilemma that he opposes. The first is the personal responsibility approach which appeals to American values of hard work and ultimately places blame on the poor rather than the government or society. The Technocratic approach on the other hand does the opposite. It blames the government for failing to fix the social conditions of the poor and refuses to blame the poor themselves even if they have done actions that have not necessarily improved their well-being. Shelby’s approach is a mix between the two. He says that we cannot blame the poor if the injustice of our society has changed the content of their obligations and thus making their behavior reasonable due to the unfair conditions they were subjected to. In other words they are a product of their environment. Shelby wants to get his point across that the existence of ghettos today is evidence that our society impaired by structural injustices and that the ghetto is not only the problem of those living in it, but all of ours.

“The warden threw a party in the county jail. The prison band was there and they began to wail. The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing. You should've heard them knocked-out jailbirds sing.” These lyrics from Elvis Presley’s hit song “Jailhouse Rock” clearly illustrate how teenagers reacted to his new brand of music, Rock ‘n’ Roll in the 1950s. Elvis and his music came in a time when the baby boomers were teenagers and beginning to identify themselves and discover music. The civil rights movement was just about to begin, and the tension between whites and blacks was just beginning to decrease. The two races found companionship when listening to music, and Elvis helped to connect the dots even more. Elvis was a music icon that the

The decade of hip-hop is what some may call it. Tupac, Naz, Biggie Smalls, as well as other artists, were major contributions. Not only for the people who are trying to find their footing, but Buck as well. Throughout the book various lyrics were embedded in order to create a better understanding for its readers. In addition, this book is based upon a 90s lifestyle within Philadelphia, which included drugs, gang activity, crime, hip-hop, and havoc. Malo was directly in the center of everything, the girls, the fights, the guns. His experiences shed light towards what it’s like to as an African American individual living in or near the hood. Not everyone realizes what people go through while living there, but now it gives some readers an image of what goes on. Though times have changed, not all previous feelings

How we dress, talk, and behave can have life or death consequences, with young people particularly at risk. Myself would define it as the ultimate black urban experience. More importantly, I was more engaged to read the book eager to base my own personal experience of my black urban neighborhood to compare to the residents interviews Anderson tackles and the assertion Anderson makes between street" persons from "decent" persons and families, with decent families tending to accept mainstream values, while street values are part of an oppositional culture. In addition, I wanted to see if he is accurate about his assumptions that the constant threat of violence to the circumstances of life among the ghetto stir from poor lack of living-wage jobs, dearth of basic public services, the stigma of race, the fallout from rampant drug trafficking and use, and the ensuing alienation and lack of hope for the future. After just finishing chapter one and two I was amazed and shocked by his knowledge and illustration on the distinction along with the relationships between “street” and “decent”

Many contradicting views surround rap music’s controversial subjects and use of language. While some consider it highly offensive, there is some validity to the rhetoric applied in political rap. In the 1990’s racial inequality is rampant with uprisings and segregated neighborhoods that condemn minorities and lower socioeconomic classes to inhumane living conditions. Specifically, Tupac Shakur’s posthumous song “I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto” combines an emancipatory lyric with a hopeful and upbeat instrumental to assess the racial inequality in society and the possibility of a better future.

In the 1990s, they were changes that were important in the gentrification of cities in the United States. Corporate developers of the restructuring of the real estate industry initiated the process. Since the

Throughout history, the poor and undesirable classes of societies were always placed in separate living areas. For the undesirable poor and African Americans of America, the ghetto was created to keep them out of certain settlements. In his book, Dark Ghetto: Dilemmas of Social Power, Kenneth B. Clark describes the ghetto as having an "invisible wall" that surrounded it. People who live in ghettos have their social dynamics, behaviorism, and overall health negatively impacted by racism and segregation. Life in the ghettos is considered to be both harsh and dangerous due to the high crime rates and violence.

In less than forty years, the city of Compton went from a shielded suburb near the confines of Los Angeles, to a terrorizing image of American culture. The results of this transformation and creation of “gangsta rap” is still well renowned today. Through de jure segregation, Reagan economics, undermining of black prosperity, N.W.A., and “Boyz n the Hood”, the city of Compton told its story and became a global image. This paper will analyze the shift of culture in Compton and the transcendent cultural effect it formed in America.

1.) In this class we have examined the sociological forces that created the social conditions from which Hip-Hop emerged in the Bronx. Drawing upon Chang, as well as videos (Bronx is Burning, Flying Cut Sleeves etc.), discuss the sociological roots of rap. Specifically, what social forces (for example: state policies, global economic trends, technological advancements, community characteristics as well as race, class, gender politics) were present and facilitated the development of Hip-Hop?