Maybe it's better not to know...

My friend, Karen Shafer, has a very intimate knowledge of what goes on with the homeless population in Dallas. Some people tell me they have a passion for a certain issue. Karen is so much more than that. She knows people who are homeless and she speaks out about unjust issues they are facing.

Just the other day she wrote an extremely powerful piece that talks about something we never seem to hear about...the homeless "camps" that exist and how the city goes in periodically and bulldozes peoples' homes. Her post is definitely worth a read:

The Bible and the birth certificate

Dallas Mayor appoints himself?

Dallas Mayor Looks at Taking Over DISD

As the news broke that Mayor Tom Leppert was considering a take-over of the Dallas Independent School District, emotions start rising.

When asked for a comment, all Mr. Leppert would say was, "The statement speaks for itself. I'm sticking with the statement," he said, adding only that "in the end, the kids have to be the priority. We're having a lot of conversations."

However, some school board members are questioning his motives. "Why would he want to be in charge of the school district?" Lew Blackburn wondered. Other board trustees from the southern sector (a primarily African-American section of the city) are stating their concern about a mayor from the northern sector (a primarily White section of the city) running the Dallas district (which is primarily African-American and Hispanic).

I get the sense that there is some defensiveness and territorialism going on. But, the truth of the matter is, our district teeters on the edge of a downward spiral. Though blame has been freely placed on Superintendent Hinojosa, blaming people does not fix the fact that our school system is not doing well and our children are suffering.

In the past, I don't know that I would've been on board with a city take over. However, I think we need to consider our needs and our resources.

DISD hasn't been thought of as a quality district for quite some time. If Mayor Leppert is serious about making the children a priority, it doesn't matter to me what color he is or where he lives. Our children deserve better than what they're getting.

I actually like Hinojosa. I like his passion; I like his approach. However, just because he has the best in mind for the kids and may be a great educator visionary doesn't mean he's got great business sense.

What I notice in non-profit is that most of us come from social sciences fields. We have been taught to be social workers, ministers, educators, etc. We have not been taught how to create a business plan, develop outcomes, and have a solid sense of budgeting. Yet, we are expected to wear that hat. Even the president of the United States has a team of people to figure out the economic piece.

So...if a successful business man who graduated from Harvard and was the former CEO of Turner Construction is committed to education and can help us get our financial piece in order, why not take him up on the offer? I don't get the sense he's wanting to tell educators how to teach. I would hope he is willing to listen to the educators and work in conjunction with them so that we can have a financially viable and educationally strong school system.

Ever wonder why people in our inner cities are angry??

As I got ready to leave the Roseland Town Homes (a housing project that has been rennovated in a very visible and accessed part of Dallas) at 7:00 on a Friday night, a fight was getting ready to happen. Thirty to forty people rounded the corner of the building and as they saw the fight materializing, many broke into a run to get there quicker.

I watched as my co-worker called 9-1-1 then got in my car and drove off.

Before I had even pulled out of the apartments, I saw the police lights. As I chose a different exit route, I nearly ran into two more police cars as they jumped the curb and sped across the open lot. I looked back to see two other police rapidly approaching from a different direction. When I pulled into the Jack in the Box parking lot, I heard a helicopter overhead. I watched it fly directly to Roseland and begin circling. The immediate and massive response for a teenage fight was unbelievable.

As I watched all of this activity, I could barely contain my anger. However, my anger is probably not what you think.

My anger is not at the teenagers who were fighting or those who were running to the fight. Nor was my anger at the police who were responding to the fight (I was actually very happy to see such a quick police response in such large numbers).

I was angry because I could recall the many times we called 9-1-1 during my eight years in Turner Courts (also a housing development, but one that is very far from the visibility of middle/upper class America)--usually with 45+ minute response times, never with a rushed response, and never any more than two cars.

But it wasn't just that. It was remembering how, in our Turner Courts community meetings, the police officers and sergeants and would condescendingly explain to us that when we called in we weren't using the right verbage when talking to the 9-1-1 dispatchers.

Nearly every meeting, we would receive condescending coaching comments that informed us, "The problem is you are saying, 'I just heard shots' instead of saying, 'Someone is shooting.'" They would then proceed to explain to us that it was our verbage that was causing the dispatch not to type in an immediate response command.

We thought we must be at fault. So much so that we even tried to circulate flyers with this "verbage" that they insisted was the problem.

Yet, despite using my coached verbage, a few months ago I drove through Turner Courts on a Friday evening around 10:30 p.m. and called 9-1-1. I frantically explained, "Three teenage boys are walking through the apartments with a gun...One boy is shooting! He is not even putting the gun away...it's still in his hand!" I had two teenage girls with me and these guys were walking right past their apartment so I wasn't going to even try to let them out.

I circled the block one more time, hoping the guys had taken off running in a different direction afraid of what might happen, but they didn't. They had no fear of anyone showing up. They continued sauntering through the apartments, still with the gun in hand, visible for all to see.

Scared that they might begin shooting again and we would end up caught in the cross fire, we made a quick decision to take the girls to a different place. We sped out of the apartments as fast as we could, never seeing a single police car (and there is only one way in and one way out of Turner Courts so I know they didn't even arrive as we were leaving).

When I later confronted the police officers who attended our community meetings, they looked into it and brought me documentation that they had shown up. I forgot to look at the response time. But it really didn't matter. They were always quick to "explain" to us the way the police system works and how they may be on another end of town or may have to wait on backup and couldn't get there quick. In other words, it wasn't their fault. The way they made it sound...and what we came to believe...the understaffed police department caused this kind of response to be the same across the city.

So someone tell me why the response was so different at Roseland!

As I talked to my friend about it today, I could still feel my blood pressure rise and the angry feelings overhwelm me all over again.

It upsets me when it takes all of five minutes for 5-7 police cars and a helicopter to arrive at Roseland for a teenage fight but we never saw that kind of response for a shooting in process at Turner Courts.

It upsets me because I feel like we were duped, lied to, and convinced that *we* were the problem because we weren't phoning things in correctly...and I'm angry because we believed them!

It upsets me because very few people who don't live in a community like Turner Courts will ever comprehend or care enough to fight for better security because, quite honestly, it just doesn't affect them.

But what is almost even more infuriating to me is that my position and my socioeconomic status allows me to move around, socialize in, and live or work in lower-income and upper-income communities. It is because I can move throughout each community that I have the opportunity to see the difference in services...an opportunity that many of my lower-income friends and neighbors don't have and, therefore, often blindly accept without question the poor services they are given.

Blaming the victim

As I'm sitting in my office at Turner Courts, I see this huge truck with a trailer holding some equipment attached...a backhoe maybe??

It made me think about the crime report statistics I read this morning: "STOLEN VEH RAN INTO TRANSFORMER IN GRASSY COMMON AREA OF APTS."

As I watched the truck park and get ready to unload, I thought of how much it costs to bring in big equipment to fix all of the things that knuckleheads decide to damage...at no expense to themselves. I thought about how it's no wonder DHA (Dallas Housing Authority) and the city gets frustrated with our requests to fix things only to have them broken again.

I then had to adjust my thinking.

If a criminal drives a stolen car into any other neighborhood, we don't blame the neighborhood for that problem. If someone does something wrong in any other neighborhood, the neighborhood is seen as the victim, the criminal is treated as the bad guy, and the problem is fixed in order to keep the community in good condition.

So why do low-income neighborhoods get treated as if they were the ones to blame for the crime that happens?

"I don't want to do this anymore! I want to go back to my little church!"

Progress is long, hard, and tiresome.

Hope sometimes seems far-fetched and destined to be dashed.

On our 4th month of Town Hall meetings in the much-neglected Rochester Park neighborhood, I think we are all beginning to feel that the honeymoon period is over. The "easy" fixes have been accomplished and now we're back to the same 'ole, same 'ole responses:

"We don't have the money."

"Turner Courts will be torn down in a few years anyway so we can't sink money into it."

"If the residents would do their job..."

"You guys need to...."

Residents of Rochester Park have taken the time to initiate the Town Hall meetings and have gone door to door relentlessly trying to convince people to have faith in the process just one more time. They have stepped out to build relationships with each other and have moved beyond their comfort zone to build relationships with the different city entities...only to feel like they're being told in so many words by a few, "It's your fault it's like this. You guys aren't doing your job."

The issue on Saturday that began creating a heated situation was when we started talking about police issues.

Residents have been reprimanded for not calling 9-1-1 enough to report incidents (anything from shooting to kicking doors in to setting cars on fire to indecent exposure), yet when they do call 9-1-1, they often have frustrating experiences because the police who show up (oftentimes 45 minutes to hours later) explain, "There's nothing we can do."

It amazes me how much the residents are blamed, regardless of their willingness and attempts to make things better.

It frustrates me to no end to see how hard they work and how much faith they are willing to put into the process (despite the lack of resources and priority they have seen over their lifetime in that area) for them to be treated like they are the problem instead of the solution.

The problems in the Rochester Park area run so deep and have been going on for so long that these issues are much bigger than any one person or one entity can solve. It's nice that Dwaine Caraway, our city council member, attended our first three town hall meetings, but the issues are so much bigger than him. It's nice that the police have worked with Mr. Caraway to beef up police presence, but it's only going to work if the police are respectful to the residents trying to work with them and if they are looking at a long-term plan. It's nice that Mr. Caraway has initiated health inspections of the local corner stores (which, evidently, hadn't been done in months...or maybe even years!), but since they are the only two stores/businesses in the entire area, until the store owners have motivation to dust their shelves, monitor their expired foods, or make their business presentatable, residents will continue to have sub-standard stores.

The solutions offered so far are not inconsequential. In fact, they are very much appreciated. But they don't solve the issues of the neighborhood over the long haul. Not yet, anyway.

Listening to all the talk surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, I think King would understand exactly what we are dealing with. King recognized that poor people were not being heard and they were not valued. The Poor People's Campaign was his beginning attempt at bringing the issue to the forefront...and some believe he was assassinated for pushing that issue. Promoting equity is costly. It challenges power structures; it affects pocket books.

Taylor Branch, in his book At Canaan's Edge, tells how King got frustrated at one point and shouted, "I don't want to do this anymore! I want to go back to my little church!"

I empathize with King. Sometimes I think it would be nice to go back to my quiet, rural town in Missouri.

In some ways, we are no further along today than we were in 1968. In many ways, we are fighting the exact same battles King fought then. But though he may not have reached the "mountaintop," he challenged the system. And as a result of his work, things did change.

Though the residents in Rochester Park are meeting with resistance from some and "explanations" for why they should accept sub-standard conditions from others, residents are pushing back.

The residents of Rochester Park may not reach their "mountaintop" either, but I have hope that their hard work will challenge the city to think differently about the people and the area that it has chosen to neglect for years.

Promises, promises, promises

For the last few months, Residents in Rochester Park have been meeting with City officials to communicate frustrations (one of them being that entire rows of street lights have been out form months (see the picture to the left). Calling 3-1-1 didn't seem to get results.

The Dallas Housing Authority and the city have been talking about leveling Turner Courts and rebuilding it into nice town homes for the last 5 years. That conversation continues. City documents show that it *will* happen...in the next 5 years.

What I find interesting (though I guess it should be a no-brainer) is that people are less concerned about what will happen in 5 years and more concerned about their safety and their quality of life NOW.

They want working swing sets for their children....stray dogs picked up by the pound...street lights that work...police that patrol (instead of just parking and waiting)...repairs made to their home (apartment) when the work order is called in...stores that dust their shelves and sell food that isn't expired...

They want to be able to invite friends into their home and not be embarrassed by the conditions they live in.

Part of the problem is that Rochester Park is a high crime neighborhood. Vandalism and crime happens frequently. So, just about the time the street lights are fixed, someone figures out a way to short circuit them from the base. The city and DHA are tired of sinking their dollars into the same repair over and over again. I empathize with their plight. However, that is the business they're in. Their job is to fix what is broken. And there are many other residents who *aren't* causing problems. Those residents shouldn't have to deal with indecent conditions. They deserve better than that.

So far, the residents gathering are small in number, but we continue to come together...to educate ourselves about the process...to bring the conditions to the attention of the city and DHA...and to fight for the right to a decent living.

Some things are happening.

I received an email the other day:

A night time survey of Bexar and Municipal streets was preformed at 6 am Friday the 8th and a list of the lights not working was sent to Oncor for repair. The lights should be repaired within 5 working days.

As a result of residents and former residents communicating concerns, making phone calls, and attending city meetings, almost all of the street lights are now working, animal services are coming around to pick up stray animals, store owners are being called to upgrade their stores, and maintenance issues are being heard. We are not finished. Residents still have concerns about security and police patrol...among others. We still have more work to do on the current issues as well. They're not perfect yet. We will continue working on those issues.

I want to commend Dwaine Caraway, Mayor Pro Tem, for continuing to show up...and bringing out numerous city officials...to help us address our concerns.

I also want to commend Kassem Elkhalil from Public Works for working so hard to make things happen...especially getting the street lights turned back on. Without any prompting, he makes sure to email and tell me what's going on.

We are happy with the progress, but we still have a lot of work to do! Getting the city to focus on the issues are just the beginning. We have to figure out how get them to listen and consistently ensure that our neighborhood is clean, safe, and livable.

Taking a step of faith

We are starting our new year off right in Turner Courts. This morning we had a meeting with the city. Yes, the city. We had a representative from each of the following departments:

• Public Works



• Animal Control



• Dallas Police Department



• Community Prosecutor's office



• DART



• City Planning Commission



• City Parks and Rec



• City Council

...along with a few others.

The show from the city was quite impressive...especially to those of us who have been in Turner Courts for many years and have often dealt with ignored 3-1-1 calls to the city, neglect in repairs, and a feeling of being completely forgotten and left out.

It was also quite impressive because we knew (and warned the city officials) that our first meeting was not going to be big. We had about 9 people attend...some current residents, some former, and some of us who work there but don't live there. Yet, they came anyway.

The meeting was good, but the best part of the whole day for me came when the meeting was over.

Ms. Haynes had come to the meeting...despite her semi-protest a few weeks ago as she explained to us that she didn't want to be involved in anything like that because it makes her blood pressure go up. She explained that she had done her part by reporting things and the city hadn't responded quickly, if at all.

Yet she showed up.

After it was all over, she sat down at the table. After the room had pretty much emptied out, Ms. Haynes (a resident in Turner Courts for many years) turned to Sylvia, Wyshina, I saying, "I really enjoyed that. You guy are really to be commended for bringing this together." I asked her what it was that she enjoyed about it. "I was able to get all of my issues out there."

Ms. Haynes voice was heard.

That's what matters.

We have gotten to know Ms. Haynes over the past few months because she utilizes our computer lab on a regular basis. As I approached her with the thought of working with us to hold the city accountable and helping make our community stronger, Ms. Haynes balked. See...Ms. Haynes has lived in Turner Courts for a long time. During that time she has made calls to the city, made police reports, reported street lights that are out...and got a slow response at the very best. Her doubt and skepticism is understandable. Why should she spend her time spinning her wheels on issues that won't be addressed anyway?

We have a LOT of work to do and a lot of issues to solve. But our biggest job is going to be earning the trust of the community so that they will begin coming out to help us move forward and hold the city accountable. Turner Courts and the people in that community have been left out for too long. Convincing people that their voice matters is going to be a long process.

The smile on Ms. Haynes' face and her very genuine compliments today tell me we may have gained one more core person to our efforts. Knowing that people are being heard, are regaining trust, and are willing to try putting effort into their community again (although cautiously) puts a smile on my face.