How Did We Get Here?

When and how did we get to the place where a teenager is killed in a bathroom over a boy and people stand there and record it?  Seriously.  When.  More importantly, HOW?

When I first read about the incident in Delaware, I couldn't even think about it or write anything because its something so close to home that the thought of it is sickening.  Close to where I live, close to what I do and close in age to my own daughter who comes home everyday with stories about what its like to be a girl in her school.  To hear about someone actually losing their life this way is beyond anything one could imagine.

There is much more going on here than just some boy.  In most cases, the issue at the forefront is just the outcome of whats bubbling under the surface and for girls this age, it usually centers around themselves and the people around them.  The way they feel about themselves and how those feelings are impacted by the perceptions of others.  Their lives at home.  Their relationships with important people or the absence of important people in their lives.  The presence of stress and pressure.  The pressure to be like everyone else which is so strong and can only be countered by love from home that many of them do not get.  

Everyone in this situation needs help.  Amy's parents, her friends, the girls behind the attack, their parents and friends, the boy involved, EVERYONE.  Children are losing their lives to violence and incarceration OVER NOTHING.  I try my best to tell my daughter how the choices she makes now can impact the rest of her life but many girls have no one to tell them this.  

WHAT CAN WE DO?  There is no time to waste.  Things are getting worse and worse everyday and every time we hear a story like this it seems the details get crazier.  Have you had success with conflict resolution for girls?  What's your approach?  What do you think is behind the recent spikes in violence among girls?  

The Penntrification of West Philadelphia

Its interesting how neighborhoods change.  In many cities, if you've lived there long enough, you may notice some of the changes yourself; how neighborhoods increase and decrease in value; how populations change over time and how an entire community seems to change over night.

Over the last few decades, many American cities have gone through periods of "revitalization" or "urban renewal"  causing neighborhoods to rapidly increase in value, drawing in more affluent residents and changing the community makeup. Neighborhoods in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia have become nationally known for their rapid changes in demographics, as formerly low-income neighborhoods change to meet the needs of newcomers.

In Philadelphia, gentrification has been a contentious issue for decades and the city is now considered to be one of the cities with the fastest rates of gentrification in the nation. 

With the expansion of the University of Pennsylvania in the 1950's, many communities in West Philadelphia were changed forever as Penn made way for an influx of students and faculty and expanded into the surrounding communities.  Its widely known that the University and others employed practices that led to the demolition of neighborhoods which were then rebuilt around the school's campus to fit their needs.

The neighborhood surrounding Temple University in North Philadelphia has also changed as the University expands into the area. Like Penn, Temple's campus is situated in the heart of an impoverished area, its massive buildings looming over residents who do not always appreciate its presence. Even now, Temple is facing harsh criticism for their plans to build a new $126M football Stadium, to be located basically in the backyard of several blocks of residential streets. The proposed 35,000 seat stadium is seen by many as yet another encroachment into the community; an area where a football stadium for a bunch of college kids is the least of residents' concerns.

Of course, there are some benefits to the community when a neighborhood is revitalized and those who are able to stay can take advantage of an influx of new and improved services.  In both Penn and Temple's case, the Universities have invested millions in their surrounding communities over the years, providing programs and services to residents. Investments in security have made neighborhoods safer and both schools have provided assistance to residents through education, employment and more.

However, to many, the cost of these benefits becomes too high when Universities and other entities use their power and money to reshape the neighborhood to fit their agenda. Memories of systematic demolitions and broken promises have understandably led to distrust of those in power.  Many long-time residents fear eventual displacement and resent the intrusion regardless of the perks.

No one would say that neighborhood change is inherently evil and in fact it can be a good thing if its done respectfully and transparently, in ways that benefit residents new and old.  However, issues of race, class and power are often at the center of the debate and drown out the positives associated with change. 

How do you feel about gentrification?  Do the benefits outweigh the risks?  How is this affected by race and class?