The focus of this article is largely regarding the relationship between the black poor and the middle class. Before I excerpt that aspect of this article here's a preliminary. Something to consider for a moment:
" `The Cosby Show' is interesting," said Lee, "because he never, ever, ever deals with the fact that, well, `we're black - and therefore we're stuck in this box that kind of moves around with us.' And he doesn't deal with poverty, which he grew up in."Now if you see posts over at the CAPCC blog you see posts railing against the thuggish elements of the younger generation, riff-raffs, section 8 people, or even in a recent post regarding young white homeless people moving into Chatham. The article might somewhat address that issue, but at least it doesn't involving any serious bashing as might be perceived from the CAPCC blog.
(It drives most Chathamites up the wall when social activists equate the word "black" with the word "poor.")
"They're the kind of images I'd like our colleagues at work to have of the way we live," said Carolyn. "I'd like them to recognize that a black family exists like that, and this is the norm for a portion of black society."
...
Being black and middle class can be a strain on the psyche, and the pocketbook.
Qualifying income levels generally are lower than they are for the white middle class. But lifestyles are similar (including winter vacations in Florida and summer homes in Michigan). So the blacks are often deeper in debt. And they must be extraordinarily circumspect. Said sociologist William A. Sampson:
"The average black family looks up to them, and expects more of them. So they must be conservative in behavior, conservative in dress. They must not be loud or boisterous. If you used to bowl, you probably stop bowling and try to play golf or tennis. You stop going to footwashing Baptist churches, because they have too much emotion. You wanted to be lectured, not preached at."
"There is a higher code of conduct," said Rosemary S. Bowen, executive director of South Central Community Services. "There is a self-pride. There is a consciousness that you are special. You are important. And you must conduct yourself in a manner that's acceptable as middle class."
Anyway here's the more "social scientific" aspect of this story. The relationship between the black poor and middle-class:
Most Chathamites seem to favor some form of workfare for the poor. At the same time, they will express great empathy for the underclass, and accept an obligation to help people they see trapped in a hopeless cycle of dependency. In short, they have mixed emotions.I would suggest you read the whole thing. The article goes into entrepreneur Ed Gardner who's owned Soft Sheen products and the old House of Kicks on 95th and Cottage Grove. He has over the years made many efforts to help poor blacks over the years, but I'll let you read that portion of the article.
"There's enormous class antagonism in the black community," said political scientist William J. Grimshaw. "Our usual perception is of white flight - of poor whites being driven out of neighborhoods by poor blacks. But middle-class blacks have had the same problem. They were forced to live with the poor until 30 years ago. Then they'd move first into a community like Woodlawn, and - bang - the poor would come right along after them. They go to South Shore and the same thing happens.
"People who have been poor themselves - and pulled themselves up by their bootstraps - have a very realistic perception of the -underclass. They can recognize a lot of self-destructive behavior. It's people like the Kennedys who tend to take a more sympathetic view. These people in Chatham are realists. They're willing to place some blame not only on social restrictions but also on lack of character and effort.
"But they're less hardnosed than whites. There's both a class barrier and a cultural bond. That's where you get the tension. They think, `Those are my brothers and sisters on 43rd Street.' At the same time, they think, `God damn those people. I sure wish they'd try harder.' The first is a cultural attitude, and the other is a class attitude."
"To be middle class is to have a stake in the status quo," said David G. Roth, national ethnic liaison for the American Jewish Committee. "It means you don't want the rules changed. `The system is working for me. I'm on my way. And I want more. Yes, I want to help the underclass. But their advocates say the rules have to be changed. That plays into my vulnerabilities as a middle-class person. I may fall back.' The middle class always is afraid of falling back.
As I write this I see a new post at the CAPCC blog entitled "I Guess We Gotta Get Out of Here!". It refers especially to a "string of murders" in Chatham in recent years. The first sentence says that Chicago's black community is imploding because of the recent crimes involving black people.
To tie this together what should be the relationship between black middle class or even upper class people be with those who are black and poor? Also what should Chatham, West Chesterfield or even Park Manor's relationship be with other poor black communities such as Englewood or Roseland?
Whose fault is this. Is it the powers that be downtown that are pushing middle class blacks from Chatham to the suburbs and out-of-state, or is it the individual responsibity of members of the Chatham community to stop this trend and relate with people from Englewood and Roseland.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you're asking. Posting this was never about assigning fault. There is a valid question to ask about who's pushing middle-class blacks to the suburbs or out-of-state.
ReplyDelete