We will not stop the violence in Saginaw until we treat it with the same urgency as the Corona virus and commit the resources necessary to address its root causes. The purpose of this memorandum is to: (1) focus attention on its root causes; (2) identify the composition of the growing street force which is committing the violence; and (3) discuss the need to provide this group of young adults with character training, positive recreational options, improved K-12 education, educational recovery programs and job training programs.
I. We Have Put Our Children In Harm’s Way
The elimination of positive recreational options in the city of Saginaw has left our children in harms way. They have no safe and supervised place to gather and socialize. As a result, they hang out in the streets where they face the constant threat of gangs, drugs, crime, etc. Eventually, many of them get enticed into these type of negative activities. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.
When I was growing up, the City of Saginaw operated year round recreation centers where young adults could safely gather and socialize. These centers were located throughout the city and provided a variety of youth development programs. They included: Civitan Community Center; the 4th and Kirk Community Center; First Ward Community Center; Audrey Frances Community Center; Trinity Community Center and the Neighborhood House. First Ward is the only one still open. The adults who worked at these centers were from the surrounding communities and were familiar with many of the families and young adults. They served as mentors and role models and taught valuable life lessons.
During the summer, the City of Saginaw’s Recreation Department also ran free day camps on the grounds of many of the public schools and in several public parks. Saginaw also had a couple of public swimming pools. All of these activities have been eliminated.
During this same time period, Saginaw Public Schools opened its school buildings for after school recreational activities and the churches sponsored both a baseball and basketball league. All of these recreation activities have been eliminated. We have abandoned our children and left them in harm’s way.
II. A Substandard School System, The Closing Of GM Plants, And The Elimination Of College Options Has Fueled The Growth Of Saginaw’s Street Force
When I graduated from Saginaw High we had four basic options: (1) General Motors; (2) college; (3) the armed services; or (4) prison. During my senior year, all of the male seniors were summoned to the office to meet with a General Motors’ representative. We were told that we were being put on co-op and that we would be released from school at lunch time to go to work. For the rest of my senior year, I went to school in the morning and then to work for General Motors. At that time, you could make more working for General Motors than you could make teaching school.
The majority of my classmates retired from General Motors and we assumed that our sons and grandsons would too. As a result, many of us did not prepare our children for anything else. There was no need to emphasize education, “Generous Motors” was waiting. General Motors absorbed all of the school district’s drop-outs and failures. It would even hire men with felony convictions. Nobody anticipated the plant closings. Our communities’ number one employer disappeared overnight.
Most colleges simultaneously discontinued their minority admissions and affirmative action programs.
As a result of these lost employment and educational opportunities, we witnessed a growing street force. Many of those young adults who would have historically been employed by GM or went to college now spend their time in the streets just hanging out. They have tried so often and failed so many times that they have given up hope. It is hard to explain how the world looks to this group of young adults or the psychic damage they have sustained. They have rejected the American Dream of getting ahead by getting a good education and working hard. They see that the American Dream did not work for their kin, and they have no reason to believe it will work for them.
Many of these young people choose gangs, drugs, and crime out of desperation before they realize the life altering consequences of these choices. An effective drug education and crime prevention program might steer some of them in a different direction. So would the type of mentors that was previously provided at the city’s recreation centers. Many of these young adults believe that selling crack on a street corner is their best employment option. They are not prepared to surrender to a minimum wage lifestyle.
III. Where Do We Go From Here?
- Character Training. We must teach our children what is acceptable and what is unacceptable conduct. We need effective crime and drug prevention programs in our schools, churches, and community centers, We must teach our children the consequences of gangs, drugs, and crime before they get involved in it. We can no longer afford to stand on the sidelines pointing fingers. It’s the parents’ and/or the school’s fault. We must stand in the gap.
- Positive Recreational Options. As stated above, recreation is an effective crime and violence prevention strategy/tool. The City of Saginaw must re-institute the comprehensive recreation program it once had. We can stop the flow of children and young adults into the street force. We must keep our children out of harm’s way. Let’s turn some of our empty school buildings into recreation and resource centers.
- Education. We need a K-12 and secondary education system which prepares our children and young adults for the job market, as well as some form of secondary education.
- Job Training Programs. We need special job training programs which are designed specifically for the academic level of our street force. Delta College and Saginaw Valley State University could play a major role in this effort.
- Character Training. We must teach our children what is acceptable and what is unacceptable conduct. We need effective crime and drug prevention programs in our schools, churches, and community centers, We must teach our children the consequences of gangs, drugs, and crime before they get involved in it. We can no longer afford to stand on the sidelines pointing fingers. It’s the parents’ and/or the school’s fault. We must stand in the gap.
Finally, we will not stop the echo of gun fire in our community until we provide our children with the training and tools they need to succeed. As long as they are hopeless and have no reason to believe that tomorrow will be better than today, the violence will continue. The only question is whether or not we will commit the time, talent, energy, and resources necessary to save our children.
E-mail me at malikthompson@sbcglobal.net and tell me why you agree or disagree with this analysis and what you believe we should do to stop the violence.
