Check out this article I found in a 1949 Chicago Tribune about children in the Gresham Community. It says that they “have ample recreational facilities to occupy their spare time…a major reason for the low juvenile arrests.”
Check out the places in the community and the activities that they had. St. Sabina Community Center, school halls and gyms, fieldhouses, libraries and the Dan Ryan Woods. All of their activities were athletic which means they could play, stay fit and burn energy.
Check this out. “Parents co-operate with teachers and youth leaders.” What happened to these relationships?
So, my dear readers, what happened between 1949 and 2012 that caused more arrests than activities?
- Was it the boom in the prison industry?
- Was it the influx of crack in the black community in the 1980s?
- Was it integration in the 1950s?
- Exactly when did the well-being of children stopped being priorities?
What are your thoughts? What can we do to bring activities back into the community to keep our children occupied so they can stay out of trouble?
The venues are still there. St.Sabina, Dan Ryan Woods and church gyms. What has changed is the parent-child relationship. When I was growing up there was no such thing as being “bored” or “nothing to do”. You had to go to day camp, social center, teen clubs, etc. If you didn’t you had to find an acceptable alternative. Block club parties were a real event where you showed your parents and neighbors what you learned at the above programs. If there was someone not involved in any of the above you could not hang out with them as they were considered a bad influence.
No parents complain if they have to pay $5-10 for their child to participate and everything is “acting or being white”.
Worlee, thank you for sharing your memories. Most of these venues are still here, but St. Killian doesn’t have community services. And do people really appreciate the Dan Ryan Woods outside of family reunions? As I read that article, it was disappointing to see how things have changed.