Reflection

Learning about the public housing projects had an effect on me. It made me realized how blessed I really am. I never lived in the projects to experience first had how it was. From the stories I have heard and read and even to the movies I had watched, my heart goes out to them. They don't deserve to be treated the way their treated. We are all people and should be treated as such. What makes city and suburbs citizens better? Is it the money? Well it has to be, what else could make the government turn so coldly toward p0ublic housing. Throughout many years the public housing community better known as the projects has been look upon as a horrible place for low unhealthy families. But in the governments eyes it’s a huge opportunity. To me the government never takes time to hear the people voice they only hear what they want to. If had one wish I would make the government change it mind and treat all people equal. No one deserves to be treated like that. I learned also that everything happens for a reason. Maybe the people in the public housings had to go through stage in their life to make them stronger. What bothers me the most is that they treat little children and the same way and they have nothing to do with it. They can’t help it that their parents live in the projects and can’t afford to take them to a better place. It’s just not right. Maybe, our new president will help change this nightmare. I know it takes time for things to change. Nothing changes over night and that’s understandable. I know everyone who reads this takes this as serious as I do. It takes a team an effort to make a project work.

profile

Thomas Ivey was born and raised for most of his younger life in the Hervy Projects o the North side of Chicago. He lived there in the early 1960's. He said those were the best times of his life. Times were much different back then, than they are today. Back in those days Thomas and his friends were able to play outside, mainly in front on their porches and had to be in by the time the street lights came on. As some may know your neighbors were like another set of parents. They were able to tell you anything and punish you just like your biological parents could. They believed in the saying "It takes a whole village to raise a child". Growing up in those times people were really family oriented. Thomas family was real big on family nights. Everyone would get together and go bowling. Yes times have changed but not that much. As far as the buildings in the Hervy Projects, there would be about ten vacant homes out of forty to fifty. Windows were not busted out but the doors were blocked off. People would break in the vacant homes but almost never busted out any windows. As far as violence, people believed in using what God them instead of what mad did. Thomas said he remembered a lot more fist fights and stabbings but hardly ever remember any shootings. For entertainment the older boys would stand in the middle of the and pitch pennies. Thomas said he didn't remember in gangs. Yes they were around but not as bad as they are now. In the year 2009 we have to worry about how to get public housing back to the way it use to be if not better. To do this we need your help. The question is are you wiling to help?

History

Cabrini-Green is/was a public housing development on Chicago's North Side, bordered by Evergreen Avenue, Sedgwick Street, Chicago Avenue, and Larrabee Street. At its height, Cabrini-Green was home to 15,000 people, living in mid- and high-rise apartment buildings.
Over the years, gang violence and the city's neglect created terrible conditions for the residents, and the name "Cabrini-Green" became symbolic of the problems associated with public housing in the United States. In 2005, only about 5000 residents remain. Several of the buildings have been razed and the whole neighborhood is being redeveloped into a combination of high-rise buildings and row houses, with the stated goal of creating a mixed income neighborhood with some units reserved for public housing tenants. The plan, and the way it is being implemented, has proven to be controversial.

In the late 1980s, Rockwell Gardens was a part of Chicago's "Operation Clean Sweep." This was a comprehensive government and police operation to clear city housing projects of the rampant gang activity, drug dealers, and other violent criminals who were a constant problem. The ultimate failure of this (and previous) cleanup programs eventually led to the Chicago Housing Authority's plan in the 1990s to demolish and redevelop city projects. Existing units only number 212 and 750 residents currently live at the project.The original structures were designed by Nicol and Nicol and cover 17 acres. 1,126 units were built, located three miles west of Downtown Chicago.

The Ida B. Wells Homes Housing Project was built in 1941 as a PWA (Public Works Administration) project. It included a city park and was a segregated development for African Americans. In 1961 the Clarence Darrow Home Project was built adjacent to the site, and it was demolished in 2000. In 1970 the Madden Park Homes Project, the last of the large CHA public housing projects, was built on another side of the Ida B. Wells Homes. Today, Ida B. Wells is mostly vacant and awaiting demolition.

Ida B. Wells Homes consists of 2 and 3-story brick apartment buildings which are not necessarily bad in and of themselves. However, they were arranged in a configuration that created numerous hidden spaces and pockets between buildings where drug dealing and violence could occur. The site features vast internal spaces which are hidden from view and isolated from the city streets.

CREDIBLE vs. NON-CREDIBLE SOURCES

My first credible source is http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/ganghistory/UrbanCrisis/Blackstone/BRindex.html

This is source is credible because:

It has very few ads on the site page.

It focus is on my topic and other related issues.

The author is clearly stated he is Timmel Black.

The page also gives sources on where he received his information from.

Lastly its credible because it ends in edu.

My second credible source is

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=cabrini+greens&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=6&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecha.org%2Fhousingdev%2Fcabrini_green_homes.html

This is a credible source because:

This website has NO ads at all.

It also ends in org.

There is no author given The site is geared toward my topic

There are no sources given.

My Third credible source is

http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/index.cfm

This source is credible because:

The site has gov.

It focuses on my topic.

There is a author.

Some sources are given.

There are no ads.

My understanding on credible sources didn't come easy. What I learned was that in order to have a credible source it has to be basically strictly about your topic straight to the point.

My First Non-Credible source is

http://http//barelybad.com/cl_theprojects.htm

This is a non-credible source because:

It has the .com at the end.

There is no author.

Its not mainly focusing on my topic.

There is also no source information.

My second non-credible source is

http://http//www.eclipse.org/projects/

This is a non-credible source because:

It doesn’t give a exact author.

There are many different ads.

No source information given.

This site doesn't have anything to do with my topic.

It also has a .com.

My Third non-credible source is

http://http//www.theprojects.com/

This site is non-credible because:

It really doesn't focus on my topic.

This is a .com site.

There is no other.

No sources were given.

There are a few ads.

Learning about the non- credible sites was fun. I learned that all the sites that i go to on the regular are non-credible.

Personal

There are many reasons why I chose this topic. I feel like people in the project get looked down on and that’s not right. To me everyone should be treated equal. I mean that’s what people feel America is portrayed to be. The country that everyone loves. Little do outsiders know that America has it flaws. Everything that glitters isn't gold. What looks good on the outside isn't always good in the inside. Don’t get me wrong I love my country but i feel that something’s just aren’t handled correctly. The government to me looks down on those who stay in the projects. When violence takes place it takes umpteen minutes before authorities are even contacted if ever called. If is takes that long for police to be called I could just imagine how long it takes for them to show up. People who live in the city and suburbs get attention quickly like they are placed above others. I live in the suburbs so people just won’t think I’m saying this because I stay in the projects. I want to know want to know what makes people like me so special? Why are we placed on a petal stool? Why do is it that authorities check on us to make sure were that were ok before others? Are they afraid to go in certain areas? If you ask me I thought all of that came with their job title. Weren't they trained for that? Well, I mean difficult situations. I wonder If all the citizen that live in the project moved to a different area would they get better treatment? Sometimes I really want the government to walk in our shoes just see if they could survive. I strongly feel if the government took the time out to listen it to the people they could truly understand our hurts and pain personally.

K.L.W.

The projects are a place where nobody really wants to live. Their for low income families who cant afford to pay for regular apartment rent. The projects are infected with drugs, violence, and abuse. Even though the violent rate is at all time high, some people don’t have anywhere to go. I’m sure they do the best the can. Everyday something goes wrong. Whether it’s a fight, shoot out, or just an argument. My 10th grade year my humanities class read a book called Our America. This book was about two young boys who interviewed people who stayed in the Ida B. Wells projects in Chicago. They asked them about their everyday life style. What stood out to was that a young boy by the name of Eric Morse was killed. The two teenagers were just trying to scare Eric so they were dangling him out the window. Eric acting the way any person would was squirming trying to get back to safety. Since he was moving so much the lost their grip and made a mistake and let him go. Eric Morse fell from the 14th floor window and died. Things just that simple can cause a life time of agony. Not saying that only these types of things happen in the projects but most of it does. The crazy part million dollar questions is, why isn’t the government stepping in to do something? they what till a crime is done to take action. Why can’t the projects be treated like the city and the suburbs? All people are equal right or are that just what they want us to think? I wonder will president Obama start some type of plan to help the low income families. As the years go by I wonder will America ever be the land of the free and brave.