The People's Report:The link between structural violence and crime in Wilmington, Delaware

transcript

Yasser Arafat Payne, Ph. D.Principal Investigator

Darryl Chambers, B. A.Senior Research Associate

Wilmington Street PAR FamilyKenyatta Brooks; Derrick Chambers; Kontal Copeland;

Bernard Cornish;

Patrice Gibbs; Earvin “Swearve” Griffin; Dubard McGriff; Louis Price;

Ashley Randolph; Melodie Robinson; Tianna Russell; Dennis Watson;

Jonathon Wilson; Corey Wright

How social structural systems, policy, legislation and blocked structural opportunity—generally in the forms of poor employment and educational opportunity, creates inequality and injustice, in local community environments.

(a)Race: Black-American(b) Gender: 12 men, 3 women(c) SES: At or below poverty line(d) Religion: 10 Sunni Muslims(e) Age Range: 20-48(f) Mean Age: 33(g) Educational Status:

1 dropped out of high school; 4 earned a G.E.D.; 3 earned a high school diploma; 5 had some college; and 2 earned a Bachelors of Arts degree.

(I.) Participatory Action Research (PAR) projects includes on the research team, members of the population under study. Once such members are identified, they then are offered the opportunity to participate in all phases of the research project (e. g. theoretical framing, literature review, analysis, publication, presentation, monetary compensation, etc.); &

(II.) PAR projects require an social justice based response to be organized in response to the data collected by the study.

Research + Social Activism = PAR

Grant Support (Fall 2009):

American Recovery and Reinvestment Actfrom First State Community Action Agency

Collaborative of local Project Partners:

Nonprofits (1) Wilmington HOPE Commission – lead partner, recruitment

and management of the project;(2) Christina Cultural Arts Center –arts for activism and career

training;(3) Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League –job skills testing

and training; &(4) United Way of Delaware – Supplemental Grant Award and

provided employment

Academia(1) University of Delaware – Led PAR team: research training and

provided Supplemental Grant Award; (2) Delaware State University –case management,

career/personal goals support; & (3) Wilmington University –educational and employment goal-

setting support

Total Wilmington Population - 70, 851 (73, 720 – pop. estimate)

Wilmington makes up 8% of Delaware’s population; &

Blacks make up about 19% of Delaware’s population

U. S. Census Bureau, 2006

( 1) Record number of homicides – 27 (38 homicides per 100, 000);

(2) 197.5 violent crimes per 10, 000 people;

(3) Violent crime increased by 3.3% in Wilmington;

(4) Wilmington accounts 25% of all crime in Delaware; &

(5) Property crime increased by 13.1% in Wilmington

(Chalmers, 2011)

Total Blacks in The Eastside – 5, 003 Blacks between 18-34 in the Eastside – 1, 098 The Eastside, overall makes up 7% of Wilm. population

Total Blacks in Southbridge – 2,052 Blacks between 18-34 in Southbridge – 486 Southbridge, overall makes up 2% of Wilm. population

(Porter, 2010; U. S. Census Bureau, 2000)

I. Two Month Period;

II. Eighteen Research Method Workshops;

III. Three to Four times per week for three to five hours per workshop;

IV. Research Theory, Methodology, Data Analysis, and Social Activism.

PAR Sub - Teams

(1) Literature Review/Writing Team – Graduate Student

(2) Data Analysis Team – Graduate Student

(3) Action Team – Raye Jones Avery

(4) Data Collection Team – Yasser Payne

Street Ideology – centered on personal & economic survival.

(1) Passed on by older Black male generation; and

(2) More connected to the code or the better a person understands the ideology the more resilient a person is considered by men in the streets.

Set of Activities(1) Bonding activities; and

(2) Illegal activities

FUNDAMENTAL PRISM

CONCEPTUAL PRISM

INDIVIDUAL CONDITIONS

SOCIAL STRUCTRAL CONDITIONS

Relational Coping

Phenomenology Histor

ySocialInjustic

SocialStructural Systems

GENERAL LOCAL

Street Life

PHYSICALS.O.R.

PSYCHOLOGICALS.O.R.

Site of Resilience Theoretical Model(Brown, Payne, Green & Dressner, 2010; Payne, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2011)

Research Question

To what extent does available economic and educational opportunity predict physical

violence?;

Age Cohort Male Female

18 - 21 73 96

22 – 29 88 119

30 – 35 54 90

Age Range Individual Interviews

Dual Interviews

Group Interviews

18 – 21 6 - 1

22 – 29 8 1 1

30 – 35 10 3 1

Leondrei (35): Basically, finance and wanting better things for yourself… we act like we don't see it but boarded houses paint our neighborhoods, pot holes paint out neighborhoods, that's the stuff that keep us stuck. You know little stuff like a pot hole… That's telling me how they don't care about me - that they won't even fix my pot hole and then I got to go home and four houses on my road is boarded, that's like a eyesore to me…. (Now) I'm looking for a release valve, any release valve, and guess what the release valve is? There's a liquor store on every corner in the hood, as opposed to when I go to Hockessin or Greenville (wealthy mostly white suburban communities)… the drinks is called wine and spirits, I need to be put in a better spirit.

Leondrei (35): (Cont’D.)…. So I'll go get a shot to deal with looking at these boarded up ass houses and these potholes and there's a boot on every car … and this is what I'm seeing. So, when you got a child that's growing up and he's looking at this, he says, “Damn, mom,” because dad ain't around because he's down PO Box 9561 or 1181 Paddock Road doing who knows how much time, right, so he says, “Mom is this all that we have?” … You know, Damn!

Living Conditions….

Rennie Rox (35): I mean, wasn't nothin', wasn't nothin' new (in the home). You know… you talkin' about books holdin' up couches… you might not have a bed frame. Your mattress and your box spring's on the floor. The typical poverty Wilmington situation. But I never take nothin' away from my mother… she tried everything she could to make sure that we had a hot meal every night, even if it was just… breakfast food… We're… gonna make some French toast or somethin' tonight (laughter)…. I love my mom to death. She's… the inspiration for me…

Experiences with Education and Employment…

Darryl: …. If you had the choice… (in terms of race) what kind of school would you send your child to?

Dionne (29): White.

Darryl: Why?

Dionne (29): 'Cause I know they are going to get a better education… the curriculum is different. … compared to the charter school my kids go to now… the other charter schools around, the curriculum is totally different. They (need to ) go to … a college charter school (or charter school recognized by a quality university).

Darryl: Do you think that the people who are in charge of providing children with an education know that there's a difference in these schools?

Dionne (29): Um hum (yes).

Darryl: So why do you think they allow one (school) to operate below the other?

Dionne (29): Politics.

Darryl: What does… a child that has a mother on drugs or a father that's not around, what does he act like in school?

Aaron (29): Every case is different. I mean, sometimes you have these kids that are all withdrawn and just don't want to associate with anybody. And then other times you have these kids who want to lash out with fighting everybody… they want to fight them because they don't know what love is. They don't know what affection is… just think.. if we could say to our kids… (including) kids we don't know, “How you doing brother? I love you.’’ I mean, just think about how that would change a person's perspective.

M = 6.14; SD = 1.83; range = 3-12

b**: significantly greater than females at p<.05

F(1,500) = 12.778, p < .01 (p = .000)

Richard (19): You know, it's (employment) crazy! … I don't really got no friends in the city that got a job, 'cept my white friend…. Even some of the older people, man, don't even got jobs… 'Cause like I said, we born into poverty, dog. We born into this game, dog (of poverty & the streets). I wasn't in this game (the streets) for fun. It was just passed down from father to son…

Richard (19): And Southbridge, dog, I could name… two people (who) got computers in they crib (home)... (that actually) have working internet, you know what I mean?... it's hard to look for a job when you ain't got no money, you gotta get on a bus, you gotta go here and there to fill out applications… You gotta leave Southbridge… when I lived in Southbridge, I never left Southbridge….. the jobs that are in the (larger) city is not no real good payin' jobs unless it's in the middle of the city where you workin' in a big building…

Experiences with and attitudes toward police…

*significantly greater than males 30-35 at p<.05

a*: significantly greater than 18-21 at p<.05a**: significantly greater than 18-21 at p<.01

Chronic Exposure to Physical Violence…..

25.4%8.5%

"How many times have you see someone else being beaten up or

mugged?"

1 to 4 times

5 to 8 times

9 to 12 times

More than 12 times

3.7% 18.7%

"How many times have you seen someone else being chased by gangs or

individuals?"

1 to 4 times

5 to 8 times

9 to 12 times

More than 12 times

No age group differences No gender differences No age/gender interactions

"Have you ever had a relative killed with a gun?"

"Have you ever had a friend killed with a gun?"

M = 17.82;

SD = 5.06;

Range = 4-34

No gender differences No age group differences No age/gender interactions

Personal Experiences with Physical Violence……

6.2%16.3%

"How many times have you been slapped, punched, or hit by someone?"

1 to 4 times

5 to 8 times

9 to 12 times

More than 12 times

Shaq (18): … when I was 14 I was coming home from football practice and a group of dudes approached me asking about a Playstation (and) ‘where it's at’? I just came out of football practice I don't know what's going on so dude asked me if I, ‘broke into his car?’ I told him, ‘no’ and they just started hopping on me. They just started swinging but I'm fighting back. I don't know what was going on but it was going on for like a good five or ten minutes and then they left. My shirt is ripped. I was limping. My lips was bleeding and (I had a) swollen eye… I didn't feel it but my jaw was fractured and… I had to get it wired shut for like two months. But it was in the past, I'm not gonna worry about it now.

1.0%8.2%

"How many times have you been attacked or stabbed with a knife?"

1 to 4 times

5 to 8 times

9 to 12 times

More than 12 times

1.9%1.7% 6.4%

"How many times have you been shot with a gun?"

1 to 4 times

5 to 8 times

9 to 12 times

More than 12 times

Psychological Well-being…

…regardless of all the, um, pain and sufferin' I've been through in this city, I still managed to find.. hope. And hope will take you a long way. I still got hope. … I'm tryin' to do what I gotta do to better myself. And I'm not waiting… on nobody or anything to… guide me. It all comes from.. yourself. … you gotta have that.. guiding, um, (inner) strength.. to do anything you want in this world. … there's always gonna be… obstacles… we all have obstacles to overcome.

M = 4.27; SD = 1.54; Range = 3-12

F(1,506) = 7.208, p < .01 (p = .007)

F(1,511) = 7.105, p < .05 (p = .001)

M = 7.49 SD = 3.17 Range = 4 - 16

Social Well-being…

No gender differences

Banks (27): I know quite a few guys.. from my side of town that gave back: 4th of July, fireworks, barbeque, DJs, um, down at the park—big barbeques! …even if you want to say with the drug aspect, (guys in the street) made sure their hood’ was okay (or provided for)... you have some guys (in the street) that… (actually) give back to the community in a good way, even though they.. doing what they do... (or engaged in criminal activity).

Anthony Bey (35): I've seen them (the streets) do that (give back to the community), I've seen more of them (the streets) do more than some of the churches… Sometimes people (civic and political leaders) might be doing it for a tax write off and some people (the streets) do it for the love… The hustler might be doing it for the love and (for) the church people (it) may (be)… just a quick tax write off, a 1099 real quick… but you have some genuine church people.. shout out to all the church people. Same thing with the Mosque. They do the same thing.

Doc (35): … We had a Fourth of July block party for at least eight years. Firework shows, everything! The City Council lady (on the Eastside) who raised me… stopped it and said, ‘we not blocking off no streets for no drug dealers.’ Okay, there might be some drug dealers helping provide this stuff, but they was givin' back. They was givin' back. Them kids had a good time. Them kids was getting free food, free music, free dance… And you took that from 'em. And since you took that, Fourth of July on the Eastside hadn't been the same since.

Economic Well-Being

Social Engagement

Experiences with

Violence

.46 -.39

(-1.48) -1.27Economic Well-

Psych Well-Being

Experiences with

Violence

.23 -.02

(-1.48) -1.21

Sobel p=.03

Employment Outcomes

All Street PAR family members received some form of quality employment during and/or after the project’s initial funding period.

Quality employment opportunities were provided by: (1) University of Delaware; (2) United Way of Delaware; (3) Christina Cultural Art Center; and (4) Parkway Academy School District

10 Street PAR family members are presently employed

Education Outcomes

5 Street PAR family members enrolled in college

(a) Graduate school - 2 family members; (b) Undergraduate school – 3 family members; & (c) Offered but declined educational opportunity – 2 family

members.

4 Street PAR family members are currently enrolled in college 2 graduate students 2 undergraduate students

Negative Outcomes

5 – Presently unemployed;

3 – Jailed during and after the initial funding period;1 – jailed twice

1 – Presently incarcerated;

Activism/Action Outcomes

100 - Formal presentations since November 2009

(a) 40 college/university presentations;

(b) 39 community presentations; & 16 - civic, political and banking leadership; 23 - local community residents

(c) 21 media presentations

Speaking Engagements:

(1) Wilmington City Counsel; (2) State Assembly of Delaware; (3) John Watson Radio Show;(4) Dr. Richard Cooper Radio Show;(5) American Psychological Association National

Conference;(6) Teachers College/Winter Round Table

National Conference; (7) Howard University (keynote);

“Action” Products/Events Included:

(1) monetary and non-monetary incentives issued to study participants;

(2) homicide art exhibit at Christian Cultural Art Center; (3) feature length documentary of project; (4) mix-CD reflecting the link between structural and

physical violence; (5) community barbecue; (6) assistance with organizing Southbridge Community

Day ; (7) youth violence forum/panel; (8) T- shirt with PAR emblem; as well as (9) two PSA’s on violence: (1) physical violence PSA; and

(2) domestic violence PSA.

I. Executive & Full Reports;

II. Supplemental Reports (i. e, jobs & school, drug use/drug sales, etc.);

III. Paper Publications: journal articles, book chapters, opt ed., newsletters, etc.;

IV. Major Publications: 2 book projects, documentary & mix CD project;

V. The People’s Report/ Wilmington Street PAR Family Website; &

VI. Continued Speaking Engagements; &

VII. More Street PAR projects

Graduate student in Human Social Services at Wilmington University;

"Runn Way Unisex Hair

Salon”;

GED and Youth Mentoring Program; &

2 Youth Violence/Education Forums

(1) United Way of Delaware

– Community Impact Technical Associate;

(2) Enrolled at Wilmington University; &

(3) Radio Personality - WVUD (91.3 FM):

– “Uncle Richards’ Neighborhoods”

Organized Unity Uncle Richard

Enrolled as a graduate student in the Criminology Department at the University of Delaware; &

Hired on 4 other UD professor’s research projects

Yasser and Darryl Chambers

17 Total Recommendations

Target Areas: (1) Physical Violence;

(2) Structural Opportunity;

(3) Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice System; &

(4) Street Outreach and Continued Community-Centered Research and Activism

Street Outreach and Continued Community-Centered Research and Activism

Street Outreach Program;

Mayor Led Street March Campaign;

Street PAR Inside Schools;

City-Wide Street PAR Project on Physical Violence; &

Wilmington Street PAR Institute

THANK YOU!!!!!!

For more information contact:Dr. Yasser A. Payne – ypayne@udel.edu