PORTRAIT OF THE INNER CITY

[Music] economic andp a box within a box in the 20th century while possessing many positive values the inner city remains a portrit in somber tones that match the lives and destinies of the people who live within its borders for the child of the inner city poor the school stands at the very center of Life offering him a set of skills and a way out or as is more often the case a dull oppressive atmosphere that serves only to deepen his sense of inadequacy and failure this is where he grows plays and passes the days of his life this is the inner city n [Music] Tommy Knight knows and understands this place he knows the streets the houses and the people he knows and is deeply affected by the sounds of his community the hard unyielding sound of Steel on concrete the sound of traffic and of people of Anger of laughter and tears he even knows and relates to the smells of his neighborhood the smell of people food and dirt of violence and fear and overall like a dim immovable Cloud the everpresent smell of Decay this is where he lives and these are the forces that influence and shape his life [Applause] [Music] this child of the inner city poor the sights and sounds of his time are hardly a catalyst to growth and the models of achievement he finds here hardly a Spur to ambition day by day the chronicle of his life unfolds the influences that Sur around him are evident at every turn and the pattern of his life is clearly etched in the design and structure of the inner city the life of the disadvantaged child is marked by frequent and Sudden Change he moves from place to place from City to City each move means a new home a different street and a host of strange faces [Music] school for some children a place of warmth comfort and fun for the new child a place of Terror Terror of the [Music] unknown the filth and discomfort of the the inner city has become an accepted condition of life for the disadvantaged child he grows up in surroundings that are marked with Decay and neglect and is continually exposed to the cynicism of those whose selfish interests override all considerations of fairness and decency uh uh we had a lot of complaints about the property here and uh the people said the steps is bad and the floor of stairs is bad and I like fixures Earl these people are always complaining always if they don't like the electric work let them use candles well that's as get to lose I mean that's dangerous it's not dangerous Erol it's all right besides we can fix the electrical inspector well I Wasing that they said that the people here say they're going to get a committee to go downtown know they were going to get a committee a couple years ago they didn't do nothing we can fix the people downtown you don't have to worry about that all you're supposed to do is look out for the company here tell these people that they'll either get along with what they have or else they can move for the amount of money they're paying you know we're not making that much on the place if we fixed everything they wanted fixed we wouldn't make anything on it we'd be in red well what do you going to do it just just let it goe of this just let them go all they're doing is talking and blowing off steam well I mean something got to be done something got to be done tell them they'll just have to do with what they've got from let their paying what do they expect the circumstances of his life in some mysterious way build strength in the personality of the disadvantaged child he assumes responsibilities uncomplainingly such as the care of a younger brother conditions in the inner city are bad but there are many elements of strength the picture is not one of Stark unrelieved monochromatic misery there is a share caring of responsibility within the family and a strong sense of community there is also Vitality here and a desire to create a better life to the children this brings a measure of Pride and self-respect the attitude of local businessmen to the problems of their Community is becoming a significant factor um so of course employ it would be very important that when you come here that you be on time each day and that the end of the many have found that hiring neighborhood children is a good practice a good business practice as well as good Community Action for you let me show you something in your size Tommy's brother Works in this store after school for Douglas Knight this is a new and exciting experience not only does he earn money that the family needs very badly he also begins to see himself as a person of value a person who has something to the same company as that one Irving Foster and it's very fashionable this season looks very nice yes and it's only 1475 he develops an ease in his relations with people and a feeling that he can manage a real job and the front he waits on customers and handles money very nice very fashionable this this fall earning the trust and confidence of his employer is one of the first important achievements of his life [Music] dougas Knight is not condemned to the role of a Stocker Porter or Aaron boy you have time to show me oh sure ladies and gentl there are other positive forces in the community forces that work to shape and give meaning to Tommy's life the community center provides an important place for the children after school here they rehearse a play that serves to stimulate pride in their own community and focuses attention on the need for a school cleanup project well I think when children a couple children during school hours should come out and playgrounds and should help clean up the glass so children won't get hurt and on the way home children should keep yards and streets and places they go by clean thank you and and now we're going to speak to a housewife I think that when the children come home from school they should H they should hang up their clothes and pick up all the paper on the floor so the house will be clean thank you remember stand and here go here is another housewife Miss we you think are keep ma clean I think that after children come home from school that they should help sweep the floors or wash the dishes and help clean up the attic because if the attic has too much dirt or paper in it they might they make their own lines and then translate them into action as a result of this program Tommy Knight and his friends begin to think of the schools and the community's appearance as their responsibility after dark the inner city comes to life with a special Vitality bringing with it a new set of [Music] problems the pace of life is quicker louder and in many respects more [Music] violent this too becomes part of Tommy's background coloring the fabric of his life and the shape of his [Music] future the KN also brings with it activities that build and strengthen the community as parents here again the school plays a central role Reading Readiness as we call it through PTA meetings through the principal and faculty the school can reach out and enlist the aid of those who have the most at stake the parents and families of the inner city for example if you have books and magazines around your house such as I have here on the table this will be a great help to your children many times children have no book at all or not even any kind of a magazine in a house is it possible to have a home reader brought to your house yes we hope that each teacher would give each child in the classroom a home reader and what we mean by a home reader would be a reader that the child can read on his or her own level that is the parent would not have to help too much and the child would be able to just read for Pure enjoyment another ex way in which you can help your child to be better in Reading would be to take your child on trips you'd be surprised how many children get their first bus ride when they come to school and teachers take them on trips why are trips so very important well I believe the Chinese have a saying that a one picture is worth a thousand words and when children get to see the actual thing and have the concrete experience uh they can come back and discuss this and if they were to go for example on a trip on a bus to the farm or to the zoo and they get a story in a reader and it's about farm animals well when you talk about a heer or a cow or a donkey or a horse they've actually seen this horse in person and they know what it looks like uh they may have even heard the sound of what this horse would do or what the cow would do the PTA meeting is a good barometer well attended it indicates an interest and active desire on the part of the community poorly attended it is a clear sign of the people's apathy in which case we all lose the community as well as the children in our search for answers to the vital question of why Tommy Knight doesn't learn as well as he should we must examine the complex tapestry of good and bad elements that make up the inner city at its worst the inner city is a dead end at its best it is a place to grow some of the answers are here here in the Inner [Music] City [Music] n [Music] a