WEBVTT 1 00:00:26.340 --> 00:00:27.740 You 2 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:30.000 3 00:00:55.180 --> 00:00:58.880 Living like most people you know who live in the city don't know who the neighbors that were here 4 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:01.880 Maybe it's because they've been around so long, but everybody talks to each other 5 00:01:01.880 --> 00:01:07.540 And it's where everybody helps each other out all the time. It's a nice neighborhood to live in I think 6 00:01:20.300 --> 00:01:26.960 The family has lived here for a little over 60 years and that time Austin was 7 00:01:28.880 --> 00:01:34.800 Very beautiful community of homes of people who considered it the suburbs of Chicago 8 00:01:35.960 --> 00:01:37.960 the trees are it's door the street and 9 00:01:40.120 --> 00:01:44.900 Everybody owned their own homes and lived here for several generations 10 00:01:44.900 --> 00:01:49.020 Yeah, but two three years now. There hasn't been as much moving but one summer 11 00:01:49.020 --> 00:01:50.860 It seemed like everybody wanted to sell their house 12 00:01:50.860 --> 00:01:58.220 We went up to the lake in summer and came back and had about six new neighbors, you know 13 00:01:58.220 --> 00:02:01.260 Most of the families that moved in had been young couples 14 00:02:02.160 --> 00:02:03.460 the bought houses 15 00:02:04.820 --> 00:02:08.840 You know not like the whole neighborhoods going to practice my hand used to say 16 00:02:28.220 --> 00:02:28.240 I 17 00:02:34.660 --> 00:02:36.760 Often offers an 18 00:02:36.760 --> 00:02:39.340 Opportunity to get away from the same 19 00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:44.960 Thing that you were really locked up in before it's a nice area 20 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:48.120 But I mean that's basically your pain for the area 21 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:49.800 after I 22 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:56.040 Pull myself away from the city and become like I'd like to be you know then 23 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:58.560 Somebody's gonna come behind me 24 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:06.320 Great number of the blacks who first move into a community are what I would call upwardly mobile and 25 00:03:08.060 --> 00:03:15.200 You know, they're the people with some gumption and know-how with education and that 26 00:03:16.760 --> 00:03:18.120 and they 27 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:24.360 Kind of kind of spearhead now, I know many whites minds 28 00:03:26.620 --> 00:03:28.640 Who have a they or kind of 29 00:03:29.980 --> 00:03:33.760 It's kind of a paranoia or a small amount of paranoia 30 00:03:33.760 --> 00:03:39.040 Anyway, we think kind of blacks get together at plan where we're gonna take over this community 31 00:03:39.040 --> 00:03:44.760 You know, it's a much simpler process. I mean, it's just a need for some decent housing 32 00:03:50.340 --> 00:03:52.400 And how long you live down Wall Street 33 00:03:53.340 --> 00:03:55.180 It's about four and a half months 34 00:03:57.140 --> 00:04:00.240 I like it though 35 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:04.820 It's better from what I moved from where you love or something not Cleveland 36 00:04:07.260 --> 00:04:09.520 Yeah, what makes you decide on Austin 37 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:13.140 Well, I said I come out here and buy it so that's what I did 38 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.540 Well, it's coming price of me and so I had a friend of mine 39 00:04:20.540 --> 00:04:24.620 He knows the fellow what I bought the house from so to recommend to him 40 00:04:25.340 --> 00:04:27.420 They should find to help us 41 00:04:28.400 --> 00:04:31.380 How do you find it? What thing feels you now? 42 00:04:32.980 --> 00:04:33.660 Well, I like 43 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:37.220 I think it's real nice is quite 44 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:41.120 In a screen this much better 45 00:04:42.620 --> 00:04:47.060 Do you have more space you can get over I didn't have any space 46 00:04:47.060 --> 00:04:50.560 Before I move over here at the planet garden. So now I do 47 00:04:51.180 --> 00:04:54.140 So I think I have a nice garden 48 00:04:54.140 --> 00:04:58.360 And in the front I think I have a beautiful flower garden 49 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:03.320 Well, actually the neighborhood where we previously lived had really gone down 50 00:05:03.320 --> 00:05:07.960 Most of people were moving out the homes were being bought by the hospital 51 00:05:07.960 --> 00:05:08.780 so 52 00:05:08.780 --> 00:05:13.540 actually, they didn't have no place because the hospital was buying out most of this property and 53 00:05:14.200 --> 00:05:19.180 Tearing it down and using it for parking lot and they wouldn't let the children play in it the playground 54 00:05:19.180 --> 00:05:20.780 They had put all mobile units in it 55 00:05:20.780 --> 00:05:25.760 Actually, they didn't have any any place in which to play all my children are young 56 00:05:25.760 --> 00:05:31.900 So actually I needed a family home something that they would have plenty of room that they could play in 57 00:05:31.900 --> 00:05:35.500 and plenty room where they could get out and more or less relaxed because 58 00:05:35.500 --> 00:05:38.180 Actually from the time that they've been small 59 00:05:38.180 --> 00:05:42.360 They've been more or less cooped up one way or the other where they really didn't have the facilities 60 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:47.260 That I thought that they should happen in order to get it in order in getting a family home 61 00:05:47.260 --> 00:05:50.760 I felt that I was bettering their condition and their vibrations 62 00:05:50.780 --> 00:05:56.480 They made it to their own means, you know new furniture and carpeting and young couple, you know 63 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:04.460 They just love it they can't think of moving now, you know, I tell him gee what if next door for me 64 00:06:04.460 --> 00:06:09.260 They're gonna get colors. What are you gonna do? Are you gonna move and they can't picture themselves moving 65 00:06:09.260 --> 00:06:13.680 They just moved in last year, you know, and we laugh about it, but it's not funny 66 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:20.760 I mean and then there was a real estate man talking to the people across the streets and he came across 67 00:06:20.780 --> 00:06:26.120 It was on a warm summer day and he was telling my mother what he can get for her house, you know 68 00:06:27.140 --> 00:06:29.180 and sort of pushy to her and 69 00:06:30.340 --> 00:06:36.440 Then I didn't know what's going so I came outside and came down the stairs and then he mumbled and walked away 70 00:06:36.440 --> 00:06:43.100 And she said she was getting nervous because he was pushing on her that everything's going you might as well get out while the going 71 00:06:43.100 --> 00:06:49.140 Is good that time of the situation. These are also the kinds of things that take place in the changing area when 72 00:06:49.860 --> 00:06:54.620 Optimism is completely lost that all the professionals all the merchants leave and 73 00:06:55.640 --> 00:06:57.440 the educational facilities are 74 00:06:58.100 --> 00:07:03.620 good deal more questionable and their function and then their value and 75 00:07:05.540 --> 00:07:10.920 You make your decision based on that we made our decision based on that I don't mean to speak for the 76 00:07:10.920 --> 00:07:12.500 garbage pickup 77 00:07:17.060 --> 00:07:17.780 the 78 00:07:17.780 --> 00:07:24.700 Kind of a parkway on West End, you know when decidedly down that's before we moved to 79 00:07:25.380 --> 00:07:27.200 You know, not because the people 80 00:07:28.140 --> 00:07:32.060 No, because the Negroes hadn't really moved in at that point 81 00:07:32.060 --> 00:07:37.460 It's just that just prior to know the change to a black kind of 82 00:07:38.780 --> 00:07:40.660 person in the neighborhood there was a 83 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:43.960 slack in 84 00:07:43.960 --> 00:07:44.920 Of the services 85 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:50.180 I 86 00:08:13.820 --> 00:08:17.600 Know they're the ones I feel sorry for the L a they're all I'm well 87 00:08:17.780 --> 00:08:18.920 Fair and you know what? 88 00:08:18.980 --> 00:08:24.600 I mean is your old age welfare and they can't afford to sell their home because if they went out and bought a new home 89 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:29.340 They could never get a mortgage for a home. They won't give it to a person over 65 90 00:08:29.340 --> 00:08:33.200 But you're not going to move not immediately. No 91 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:35.620 No, we're too comfortable here 92 00:08:37.040 --> 00:08:42.820 If we were young people why that might make a difference but at our age we don't like to tear up and make a change 93 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:47.720 So we're playing stay on indefinitely 94 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:49.200 I 95 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:51.420 Think the biggest change in the neighborhood is 96 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:55.380 Is the fear that's taken over the neighborhood? 97 00:08:56.680 --> 00:08:58.260 In that now 98 00:08:58.260 --> 00:09:00.540 No one's going out at night 99 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:04.480 That's the biggest thing. So then we thought well, we'll send our son to Lane 100 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:06.840 We won't let our son go to Austin and get hurt 101 00:09:07.520 --> 00:09:14.180 So Jimmy's at Lane and I get that dreaded phone call at work, you know, your son's been hurt tonight. Oh 102 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:17.100 so rush over there and he's in the hospital and 103 00:09:19.100 --> 00:09:19.580 a 104 00:09:19.580 --> 00:09:20.920 lunchroom fight at Lane 105 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:26.980 with a white boy, you know, so I thought here we sent him clear across the city and 106 00:09:27.660 --> 00:09:30.540 You know what happens there was what we dreaded happening here 107 00:09:30.540 --> 00:09:35.120 Except I'm happy that he goes to Lane instead of Austin because I'm you know wouldn't want him to go to Austin 108 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:38.000 but why is 109 00:09:38.760 --> 00:09:44.580 Oh, well my reason would be I'm just would be afraid of the colored because I've heard they have knives 110 00:10:04.540 --> 00:10:05.140 I 111 00:10:05.140 --> 00:10:08.760 What made you decide to locate in Austin well 112 00:10:09.540 --> 00:10:14.540 One reason was because it's a change in community. We do have to face that fact and 113 00:10:15.560 --> 00:10:18.200 Where there is change there is moving 114 00:10:18.780 --> 00:10:20.340 you have a 115 00:10:20.340 --> 00:10:23.420 migration of people leaving and a migration of people coming so 116 00:10:23.420 --> 00:10:28.300 We feel that we made a very wise choice in locating in the Austin area weird like 117 00:10:28.820 --> 00:10:31.740 When you move people into Austin, where do they usually come from? 118 00:10:32.980 --> 00:10:40.080 Usually from what we call the inner city and they move out and those that are leaving the Austin area either go to the suburbs 119 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:47.020 Further north further south when you say the inner city do you get more people like from the west side, right? Right? 120 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:49.860 most of the people that move in the Austin area come 121 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:57.040 Well, well they come from what we would call the middle west side and thirty hundreds and on back this right 122 00:10:57.040 --> 00:11:01.780 Garfield Londo right go further east and you'll see that 123 00:11:01.780 --> 00:11:09.480 You know the decaying of buildings and the tearing down and the only alternative is to move further west where there is a sufficient housing 124 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:12.120 Yes, but they also remodeling 125 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:23.300 But most of them they're not doing anything at all they just tearing down there's nowhere far people to to live, you know 126 00:11:23.300 --> 00:11:25.900 It's gonna happen there. There's nothing I can do about it 127 00:11:25.900 --> 00:11:30.800 It's it drives me out of my mind because it's my own parents, you know, they're gonna be victimized like everybody else 128 00:11:32.740 --> 00:11:37.080 They signed an exclusive with some real estate real estate company for 90 days and 129 00:11:37.780 --> 00:11:42.200 They had a sign out in front of their house where I came home one day and there was a for sale sign in front 130 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:44.200 Of our house. I almost died 131 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:55.500 You know for sale sign has become a symbol of sin to me and there it was 132 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:07.080 133 00:12:37.420 --> 00:12:38.040 Hey 134 00:12:48.660 --> 00:12:49.280 It's 135 00:12:50.920 --> 00:12:52.960 To bed see a neighborhood go down 136 00:12:53.880 --> 00:13:00.080 Become a slum as many neighborhoods in Chicago have and our block club are trying to prevent that 137 00:13:01.260 --> 00:13:04.040 We try to get the people to 138 00:13:04.040 --> 00:13:05.640 Keep up their properties 139 00:13:07.800 --> 00:13:08.280 And 140 00:13:10.520 --> 00:13:13.760 We like our black neighbors and I hope they like us 141 00:13:21.460 --> 00:13:22.420 The majority 142 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:25.440 residents in the neighbor when they decide that 143 00:13:26.280 --> 00:13:30.460 They can no longer keep out these minorities that are trying to get in and they suddenly decide 144 00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:35.240 Along with the realtor that oppression them that we are gonna have to sell 145 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:40.780 That they are coming we can't stop it, okay at that point 146 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:45.100 Most of the people I'd say 147 00:13:45.100 --> 00:13:49.180 Decide they're not gonna put any more money into these pieces of property 148 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:56.260 The deterioration sets in before the new residents arrived in most cases it does 149 00:13:58.260 --> 00:14:00.800 There were only two in this house now, this is kind of unique 150 00:14:02.680 --> 00:14:03.880 nine room 151 00:14:04.380 --> 00:14:08.180 Home, I think the husband had died so left two people you only had two people in this building 152 00:14:09.980 --> 00:14:10.780 Okay now 153 00:14:11.420 --> 00:14:13.560 Dr. Clark over there on the 154 00:14:13.560 --> 00:14:16.000 corner of Waller and 155 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:17.200 West end 156 00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:20.520 There is only as far as I know dr. Clark and his wife 157 00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:27.360 That might be some other person, but I'm not aware of it. Now what I'm saying is just these two places alone. You had a total of 158 00:14:28.300 --> 00:14:34.600 Less than eight people so this is where you get your problem an old established residential area 159 00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:38.420 very quiet and subdued suddenly gets an influx of 160 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:46.940 Three times two or three times as many adults and God knows how many times as many kids you see 161 00:14:46.940 --> 00:14:49.280 You've got more 162 00:14:49.280 --> 00:14:50.920 cars on the street 163 00:14:51.640 --> 00:14:54.880 You've got more kids running across the grass 164 00:14:56.640 --> 00:15:02.680 That's all of this is deterioration we're talking about deterioration of the the natural aspects the grass the strawberry and 165 00:15:03.900 --> 00:15:06.960 the property itself and all of those people that 166 00:15:08.100 --> 00:15:10.520 Trying the so-called better themselves 167 00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:17.680 Well, here's the chance and unless you've been through this kind of a situation before and more than likely than most 168 00:15:18.400 --> 00:15:23.200 Majority people haven't between say 25 35 years of age. Maybe first home 169 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:27.680 but when you get in a situation you run to the open area and 170 00:15:28.380 --> 00:15:31.760 it's quite comical because you're gonna find that 171 00:15:32.580 --> 00:15:37.840 you're gonna be running into some of the same people that you saw in the old neighborhood because 172 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:42.720 as I say it opens up one at a time and just you and he were about ready to buy and 173 00:15:43.280 --> 00:15:47.700 He lives around the block here and the other guy lives on Washington over there 174 00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:51.260 So what do we got the same residents? 175 00:15:52.520 --> 00:15:56.840 In some cases the same ones that contributed to some of those conditions that you left 176 00:15:57.640 --> 00:15:59.040 He lives next door 177 00:16:00.100 --> 00:16:00.560 so 178 00:16:01.180 --> 00:16:07.120 You've got the same problem that you left from you you can run but you can't hide as you always say that's about the side 179 00:16:23.460 --> 00:16:27.560 We wanted to try to start some type of a 180 00:16:27.560 --> 00:16:30.660 recreational facilities for the particular youth in the area 181 00:16:31.400 --> 00:16:38.640 So I'd like to get some insight on this particular point from around some of the people around the table now, mr. Dose of 182 00:16:38.640 --> 00:16:39.180 the area 183 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:44.380 Believe me over was 10 there's over 14 kids playing in the alley all the time 184 00:16:44.380 --> 00:16:50.540 Now they get instead of playing in the alley like that if they can get a place for to play by 185 00:16:51.520 --> 00:16:53.460 It really be something I 186 00:16:55.020 --> 00:17:01.040 Think some effort for the young people of community would be excellent and 187 00:17:01.040 --> 00:17:04.800 Just what I should think would have to depend on a kind of a survey 188 00:17:05.360 --> 00:17:12.420 To get a group of the young people together and talk to them and find out what they would like and get their cooperation 189 00:17:13.320 --> 00:17:16.960 You can't just go out and start something if they aren't interested 190 00:17:21.700 --> 00:17:25.900 Let's ask them just what they would like us to start for them 191 00:17:27.120 --> 00:17:34.580 Well, I don't know how to say it but get basketball and baseball teams and stuff together for the summer and going around 192 00:17:34.580 --> 00:17:40.220 To get friends, you know to help put in for something for like to get the bats and stuff 193 00:17:40.220 --> 00:17:45.060 So then that way in the summer we can have something something to do 194 00:17:47.980 --> 00:17:49.840 Why can't we 195 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:52.940 Squidance right here 196 00:17:55.280 --> 00:17:57.260 Why can't we get a teenage 197 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:02.740 I'm not a teenager 198 00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:09.420 I'm a square dance caller and I figured I could put on a nice square dance for 199 00:18:10.520 --> 00:18:14.620 Every age bracket. Well, I don't think the teenage is big 200 00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:20.300 Oh 201 00:18:20.300 --> 00:18:23.500 I'll tell you what you put on a teenage dance and I'll put on a square dance 202 00:18:28.360 --> 00:18:34.400 Okay, whoever wants these these free passes you better come over here and get them now so I can make them out 203 00:18:40.840 --> 00:18:42.800 Yeah, that's a little better putting them in a nap 204 00:18:45.180 --> 00:18:46.760 That's all right, that's my fault 205 00:18:53.180 --> 00:19:04.460 I'm good at this. This is my this is my job all the time washing dishes upstairs 206 00:19:06.420 --> 00:19:08.800 That's one way to get my hands clean 207 00:19:08.800 --> 00:19:15.880 I'm working in the factory, you know, if you don't have if you don't wash dishes or something like you don't get your hands clean 208 00:19:17.760 --> 00:19:23.260 You remember the last block club supper we had oh, yeah, oh what's not a success 209 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:32.180 That's cool 210 00:19:39.180 --> 00:19:41.700 Well, I have to have another one before 211 00:19:41.700 --> 00:19:44.160 I do too 212 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:51.040 I did too. You never saw so much food in all your life. They had turkey. They had chicken. They had hams 213 00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:56.620 They have the these apple turnovers that they made here. Uh special 214 00:19:56.620 --> 00:19:58.720 Made them right out right on the stove 215 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:04.620 At one time when the program first opened in this this area here was predominantly white so you didn't have the power 216 00:20:04.620 --> 00:20:06.100 You've got more of it now 217 00:20:06.100 --> 00:20:10.820 So maybe the audience maybe they might want to be considered in this to be in other words take the boundaries further west 218 00:20:10.820 --> 00:20:12.400 They want to stop at central now 219 00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:17.540 Then you would have to have for each see that's why I don't have community reference here because we don't consider this 220 00:20:17.540 --> 00:20:23.520 As a part of the urban project center, but we should start they should start immediately instead of waiting until it's too late 221 00:20:23.520 --> 00:20:25.660 Good like in london is too late 222 00:20:26.440 --> 00:20:32.980 I've been quite involved since i've been here two months with the uh, water street block club, which is the street that I live on now 223 00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:35.220 Uh, I can see more sophistication 224 00:20:35.740 --> 00:20:38.260 You know the people are pretty well organized and 225 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:46.220 I think I think now it's become better organized and to try to get some of these things that we see as problems here in the austin area 226 00:20:46.220 --> 00:20:48.420 like uh 227 00:20:48.420 --> 00:20:52.280 Better garbage disposal and these kinds of problems where 228 00:20:52.280 --> 00:20:57.780 Environmental problems where I think some of the women are kind of concerned and me and also about walking the streets at night 229 00:20:57.780 --> 00:21:00.220 you know like we want to make it a safe community and 230 00:21:00.940 --> 00:21:03.380 They're they're attacking these kind of problems and 231 00:21:04.060 --> 00:21:10.420 I don't think just by the people here on wall street. I think that most of the people here are homeowners and working people 232 00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:11.680 so 233 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:15.520 Maybe they don't have the problem of worrying about where the next buck is coming from, you know 234 00:21:15.520 --> 00:21:19.760 So they can really deal with some of these problems and most meetings i've been to have been quite fruitful 235 00:21:20.300 --> 00:21:28.200 We can see some accomplishments. It makes me angry. You notice all this garbage and rubbish and things around in the parking lot and 236 00:21:28.760 --> 00:21:32.800 We had really talked to the janitor about this three or four of us had gotten on him about 237 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:34.860 By keeping this area clean 238 00:21:34.860 --> 00:21:41.120 So, uh, he came over a lot of excuses, but you can see where he's trying to start around the edges sides over there trying 239 00:21:41.120 --> 00:21:47.040 what we plan on doing this saturday about the three or four people in the apartment plan on coming out and uh, 240 00:21:47.040 --> 00:21:54.020 Get this parking lot cleaned up because uh, it's kind of it's a sore spot here to come in every day every night 241 00:21:54.020 --> 00:21:56.000 Hey, you see 242 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:58.020 Things like this this shouldn't happen 243 00:21:58.900 --> 00:22:01.660 That's why we tend to organize the block clubs 244 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:07.580 Much better because things like this garbage shouldn't be allowed to pile up like that in anybody's backyard 245 00:22:09.080 --> 00:22:12.600 This is my area here this is right in the heart of the blondie 246 00:22:13.800 --> 00:22:15.340 roosevelt road and 247 00:22:15.340 --> 00:22:17.620 Sort of like a dividing line 248 00:22:17.620 --> 00:22:19.140 the londia 249 00:22:19.140 --> 00:22:20.840 see, uh 250 00:22:20.840 --> 00:22:25.560 All the torn down buildings all the buildings that should be torn down and not torn down 251 00:22:25.620 --> 00:22:31.060 Uh, you see a lot difference, uh in the austin area in the londale area 252 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:37.460 It's buildings and things uh, by any god i'm torn down one of them here 253 00:22:39.480 --> 00:22:41.940 Alley's and it's a probable condition sometimes you 254 00:22:43.760 --> 00:22:45.960 Drag from these alleys you might not know what to expect 255 00:22:49.860 --> 00:22:51.620 Alley's and uh 256 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:54.420 You can see all of the 257 00:22:54.940 --> 00:22:55.340 Rubbish 258 00:22:57.400 --> 00:22:59.380 Things is left piled up 259 00:23:03.480 --> 00:23:04.280 Alley basketball 260 00:23:09.040 --> 00:23:10.980 Definitely don't want to see another line there 261 00:23:13.520 --> 00:23:15.740 All of this area that you see right in here 262 00:23:16.920 --> 00:23:19.480 There used to be nothing but business up and down the street 263 00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:25.260 Uh, all of them I can't I can't remember hendriest hamburger stand and places like that used to be all up and down this area 264 00:23:25.260 --> 00:23:31.120 And during the martin luther king riots all of them were ram sacked and torn down and set afire. So 265 00:23:31.580 --> 00:23:36.080 All this area area here is being put together for low-income housing 266 00:23:36.560 --> 00:23:39.400 This is going to be called the martin luther king junior plaza 267 00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:44.200 A lot of these places a lot of these places have moved out 268 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:46.760 There were quite a few more 269 00:23:46.760 --> 00:23:52.920 Uh, some of these have changed names because they moved out during the riots, you know, they couldn't get their insurance renewed 270 00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:55.520 And it was a bad risk 271 00:23:56.220 --> 00:23:59.920 Do you foresee people living in these houses moving to some place like austin? 272 00:24:01.620 --> 00:24:05.640 Well, right, uh, they're gonna have to move someplace that's for sure and uh 273 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:10.280 Either if they don't go to londale, then they're gonna have to come 274 00:24:10.280 --> 00:24:12.120 further west into austin 275 00:24:21.600 --> 00:24:21.880 Uh 276 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:27.140 What the guy told me people out to the realtor company told me I had to get a petition 277 00:24:27.600 --> 00:24:29.500 Have everybody in the building sign a petition 278 00:24:30.060 --> 00:24:34.560 To get this car and then they try to find out whether they could pay for it or not because they say it ain't 279 00:24:34.560 --> 00:24:37.440 Tons of money that's that they have to pay they have to go to the receivership 280 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:39.220 So I don't I don't care about the receivership thing 281 00:24:39.220 --> 00:24:42.140 But I think we've got to get these cars out of here and that's paramount, you know 282 00:24:42.140 --> 00:24:44.720 And try to clean this lot up now when I talked to that jive janitor the other day 283 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:48.740 He said he's going to do all these things like give us some more garbage cans out here in the back 284 00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:50.520 So we had to throw the things on the side, you know 285 00:24:50.520 --> 00:24:55.880 And he made about 10 promises and I haven't seen any of them yet except maybe where he started sowing some grass 286 00:24:55.880 --> 00:24:58.520 You know, so he's talking a lot of noise, but he ain't really doing nothing 287 00:24:58.520 --> 00:25:00.660 And I think that that'd be something we could get 288 00:25:00.660 --> 00:25:06.160 Get on his case because these things are certain things that I know he's supposed to do clean those keep those hallways clean 289 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:12.600 Get these replace these screens and get that garbage and thing and keep that front paper litter free, you know 290 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:14.940 Oh 291 00:25:24.120 --> 00:25:30.380 We got enough 292 00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:44.720 293 00:26:04.700 --> 00:26:08.340 All of us now we thought we could let them take care of it 294 00:26:08.460 --> 00:26:10.060 You're not doing that 295 00:26:20.260 --> 00:26:22.300 This is mr. Keeber 296 00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:43.100 Because see now we've got everybody out here today and that means that we ain't playing right well like I told them 297 00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:46.280 That I got good tenants in here now 298 00:26:46.280 --> 00:26:50.300 And they ain't gonna stand for no crap and it's going to be easier for me 299 00:26:51.760 --> 00:26:53.820 And I want to say keep it that way 300 00:26:56.540 --> 00:27:02.940 You know like we've shown our good faith we are here working today and this ain't hardly I 301 00:27:02.940 --> 00:27:05.940 You know, I don't get no pay for this. It's just I live here. Right? 302 00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:11.780 Our job but we're willing to cooperate in good, you know, surely if we can pay that rent, you know 303 00:27:11.780 --> 00:27:16.700 And get out here and do our own labor and not getting any credit guy and to pay for it at least 304 00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:20.960 The manager can cooperate with us, you know, I asked for a meeting with the dude 305 00:27:21.420 --> 00:27:22.660 If you are late 306 00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:28.020 You know that he act like I didn't exist I said hey, you know, we gotta represent this tonight 307 00:27:28.020 --> 00:27:31.020 Come on out here. We want to meet with you one night. He like I didn't even exist 308 00:27:31.700 --> 00:27:33.000 What's all right? 309 00:27:33.100 --> 00:27:35.720 I ain't got to run around and meet with him. I can deal with him some other way 310 00:27:36.340 --> 00:27:41.040 We can we can cause some things to happen. We can cause some things happen because we control the rent, right? 311 00:27:41.320 --> 00:27:42.820 Let's face it if you go by yourself 312 00:27:44.320 --> 00:27:49.020 You're just so big and you have you know, you don't have much power behind you 313 00:27:49.020 --> 00:27:50.240 That's what I think. Well when you go 314 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:53.460 Things done and mr. Keeter can't do it 315 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:56.640 Do it ourselves and we got 12 units behind 316 00:27:57.840 --> 00:28:02.220 We ain't talking about no one you talking about 12 of them and when we want something done get it done 317 00:28:02.220 --> 00:28:07.200 Take that in rent as they hear is your receipt and here's the remainder of your rent from 135 145 dollars a month 318 00:28:07.200 --> 00:28:10.240 And let him deal with that since he likes to go to court. Let him go to court with that 319 00:28:22.920 --> 00:28:25.500 Anybody more or less following this up on that particular 320 00:28:25.980 --> 00:28:31.380 You form some type of tennis group, right? This is from to understand. I was getting that. Mr. Harbour was trying to get together 321 00:28:31.380 --> 00:28:37.800 Okay, and you were supposed to contact the man, right now we were talking about a one-time petition in the area, right? 322 00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:42.520 Okay, what did you have to go through in order to get this court appearance with this particular gentleman? 323 00:28:42.900 --> 00:28:46.500 Well, they was having meeting court there this morning what? 324 00:28:47.720 --> 00:28:51.540 See, we don't have one of this the building is like in receivership. Yeah 325 00:28:52.580 --> 00:28:57.860 And the judge was meeting with the guy that's having a receivership and that got turned 326 00:28:58.420 --> 00:29:03.440 When the judge called him we approached the banks and the judge asked us why why was we there? 327 00:29:05.800 --> 00:29:07.560 We brought this up 328 00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:13.120 And as soon as the judge found out the amount of rent we was playing paying 329 00:29:13.120 --> 00:29:16.580 He said I want them all corrected 330 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:18.000 so 331 00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:22.080 We're gonna get fences. We're gonna get uh 332 00:29:22.080 --> 00:29:27.660 Across the parking lot. We'll get chains with locks for each tenant. We'll get the hallways decorated 333 00:29:28.820 --> 00:29:33.760 Everything that we complained about he agreed to correct it 334 00:29:34.420 --> 00:29:36.420 Did they make up some type of 335 00:29:37.020 --> 00:29:38.360 Report to this factory? 336 00:29:39.140 --> 00:29:45.080 No, he was on this one. He took up but he's meeting at our attendance meeting not this coming tuesday 337 00:29:45.080 --> 00:29:52.000 But the following tuesday and he'll meet there and he will personally see the things that we want corrected 338 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:54.540 Come on in. Mr. Vapour, right? How are you? 339 00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:56.520 I don't 340 00:29:58.100 --> 00:30:05.900 Okay, what what we're saying is we the whole business that uh, we have at hand here is we had uh listed here about 341 00:30:09.020 --> 00:30:10.940 14 grievances that were signed by 342 00:30:11.820 --> 00:30:12.860 nine out of eleven 343 00:30:12.860 --> 00:30:17.740 Tenants of these uh these apartments. So I think that we'd be in order now that we discussed these 344 00:30:18.800 --> 00:30:19.300 individually 345 00:30:19.300 --> 00:30:21.740 Uh as to 346 00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:26.620 What some of the promises were in in our court meetings and what has actually transpired? 347 00:30:27.540 --> 00:30:32.120 I cannot enhance the value of the building, but I can make emergency repairs 348 00:30:33.100 --> 00:30:37.060 Now the repairs that they have requested in court 349 00:30:37.980 --> 00:30:39.480 Have been granted 350 00:30:40.920 --> 00:30:46.540 Because they weren't asking for anything outrageous they weren't trying to enhance the building itself 351 00:30:47.100 --> 00:30:50.700 Some had cracked walls bad plumbing electrical work 352 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:53.720 Things of that sort 353 00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:58.060 So actually anything over 50 or 100 dollars we have to go in the court 354 00:30:58.700 --> 00:31:02.060 but that shouldn't have stopped you from any of the 355 00:31:02.060 --> 00:31:05.740 example example, uh doing a cold spell after the 356 00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:08.440 Uh heat had been turned off 357 00:31:08.440 --> 00:31:12.780 most of us were suffering because it did get very cold we called the 358 00:31:13.760 --> 00:31:14.380 office 359 00:31:14.940 --> 00:31:17.640 Okay, that was a put on that's what i'm talking about a put on the thing was hey 360 00:31:17.640 --> 00:31:23.260 we came too much about it we're going to try to have somebody out here tomorrow the next day and uh, 361 00:31:23.260 --> 00:31:29.220 Have you told the janitor about it? Yes, the janitor's very very much aware of it, but nothing was done for about two days 362 00:31:31.720 --> 00:31:34.120 Because I dispatched someone out here 363 00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:42.060 and uh, they changed the uh, the valve and uh, they also uh looked over the heating plant and so forth, you know 364 00:31:42.060 --> 00:31:46.220 I hate to disagree with you the next two two days later when I was on my way to work 365 00:31:47.160 --> 00:31:48.560 Because I mean 366 00:31:49.100 --> 00:31:49.980 My way to work 367 00:31:49.980 --> 00:31:55.880 I saw your janitor getting out with another janitor that he happened to know when they were coming over to do it himself 368 00:31:55.880 --> 00:32:03.260 And that was not anybody from any reputable company that dealt with furnaces and things. So I agree. I'm saying this didn't happen 369 00:32:03.260 --> 00:32:07.900 So there's a break in communication. No, we're not going to hash over what's happened 370 00:32:08.580 --> 00:32:13.480 Prior to court we want to find out what we're going to do from this point, right? 371 00:32:27.460 --> 00:32:33.660 These are what we call classic examples of what's happening in our cities 372 00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:36.100 We have a realtor 373 00:32:36.900 --> 00:32:38.900 Who bought three homes on one block 374 00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:42.420 Five thousand dollars apiece from white families 375 00:32:43.240 --> 00:32:51.880 Within a couple months he resold them each to black families for 17-5, 18-5, and 18-thousand 376 00:32:53.340 --> 00:32:56.300 All the homes are full of building code violations 377 00:32:57.320 --> 00:33:00.420 The families are stuck the community's stuck 378 00:33:00.980 --> 00:33:04.600 But the realtor he's out in the street. He's doing more business 379 00:33:04.600 --> 00:33:09.920 Everybody has to have a place to live and when you start tampering with such a basic need of housing 380 00:33:10.460 --> 00:33:13.460 And the people you know the filling up the frustrations 381 00:33:13.460 --> 00:33:19.120 The blacks saying the chicanos saying the whites deserted us the whites saying that the blacks chased us out 382 00:33:19.120 --> 00:33:24.500 And until you get to the point of like we're doing today and we have been doing of identifying the common enemy 383 00:33:24.500 --> 00:33:27.060 We're all getting screwed by the same guys 384 00:33:27.640 --> 00:33:28.460 You know 385 00:33:28.460 --> 00:33:33.440 We're not screwing each other somebody's coming in and making a lot of money and taking us all some of the whites will say well 386 00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:34.400 You shouldn't run 387 00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:39.620 You know and then the blacks will say this and spanish will say that and if you can keep everything divided 388 00:33:39.620 --> 00:33:43.700 And you're in trouble and the big guys can come in the bureaucrats come in make a lot of money 389 00:33:43.700 --> 00:33:48.320 And for political reasons and just wipe out a community like in a city 390 00:33:48.320 --> 00:33:54.580 What's happening is we're all going to be in the suburbs and say from chicago fighting this kind of battle and they're rebuilding the inner city 391 00:33:54.580 --> 00:33:56.720 For people like none of us can afford to live there 392 00:33:56.720 --> 00:34:00.080 They destroy a community put up a sandburg village it looks great 393 00:34:00.080 --> 00:34:04.280 But it's for the affluent suburbanites to come back into it's not for the people who lived there before 394 00:34:04.280 --> 00:34:08.420 It's not what was promised them and that's we have a resolution on that also 395 00:34:08.420 --> 00:34:13.080 We were promised our home back now. They want you want to sell me a house for 40 000 townhouse 396 00:34:13.080 --> 00:34:18.060 Well, I happen to have a 12 000 house that I was very comfortable in and you said I had to go for urban renewal 397 00:34:18.060 --> 00:34:30.020 Now I can't come back if the communities weren't uh changed over the way they are if there was a normal integration if there was 398 00:34:30.020 --> 00:34:36.600 The inner city was refilled and you know, I laughed with mcgovern said because that's what i'd been using I go through in chicago 16th street 399 00:34:36.600 --> 00:34:40.620 Wondale douglas park it looks like bombed out cities all these big buildings vacant 400 00:34:41.180 --> 00:34:43.760 Tremendous good housing and they just leave it go there 401 00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:48.920 They don't rebuild it because they want the people to move then they move the next group there the mentality of the bureaucrats 402 00:34:48.920 --> 00:34:50.280 If this is the only way to do it 403 00:34:50.880 --> 00:34:56.080 We'll just move this crew off and we'll move this group up and we'll keep moving them keep them fighting each other 404 00:34:56.080 --> 00:35:01.100 They have the money interest in the bureaucrats and the people losing I think the people are winning today 405 00:35:35.540 --> 00:35:35.940 You 406 00:35:40.760 --> 00:35:42.420 How long has the church been here 407 00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:47.040 I don't exactly know. I think I think it's been here about 50 years anyway in the church 408 00:35:47.040 --> 00:35:52.920 I've been a member ever since I was in the children's section. That must have I must have been a member here of about 30 years 409 00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:55.380 the majority of the congregation are 410 00:35:55.380 --> 00:36:00.180 Living in the outskirts and in oak park majority of them live in oak park now 411 00:36:00.180 --> 00:36:04.900 And a lot of them have moved on the church we used to have a congregation of about 412 00:36:05.460 --> 00:36:11.380 I would say about three to four hundred people but now our congregation has gone down to about a hundred and 413 00:36:11.380 --> 00:36:13.360 hundred to a hundred and five and 414 00:36:13.360 --> 00:36:15.740 That's about the most we ever get every sunday 415 00:36:15.740 --> 00:36:22.800 I come every night every evening in order to check the church over after it's all after after it's all done and all that after 416 00:36:23.360 --> 00:36:27.620 Just for check for safety purposes to see that the church is all locked up and all that 417 00:36:27.620 --> 00:36:30.040 Yeah, how long have you lived in austin? 418 00:36:30.140 --> 00:36:33.060 I've been there all my life ever since I ever since 1925 419 00:36:33.680 --> 00:36:37.880 If you had any trouble being one of the few white families on your oh, yes 420 00:36:37.880 --> 00:36:42.720 There's uh, there are three white families. There are three white families left on my block 421 00:36:42.720 --> 00:36:45.900 One in uh one on the side of me on the east 422 00:36:45.900 --> 00:36:48.160 And the ones in my folks building 423 00:36:48.160 --> 00:36:52.200 Are they going to stay there? No, they're leaving them by by july 424 00:36:52.200 --> 00:36:57.420 By the end of july, they'll be they'll be out too. Will you be the only i'll be the only white family left there 425 00:36:57.420 --> 00:37:03.480 And what do you plan to do? I don't know it all depends if it gets any if it gets any worse or anything like that 426 00:37:04.520 --> 00:37:07.160 Uh, i'll have to move or else 427 00:37:07.160 --> 00:37:13.700 I don't know what's going to happen after they they do leave because I might be forced out of the place. I couldn't say 428 00:37:13.700 --> 00:37:16.360 Well, how would you be forced to have well 429 00:37:17.160 --> 00:37:21.880 They might not the the blacks might not block the idea of only white and only white being in the in the neighborhood 430 00:37:21.880 --> 00:37:25.880 Particularly and they might not like that idea and I might have to be forced out 431 00:37:26.440 --> 00:37:29.840 What about uh right now your relationships with the black families? 432 00:37:30.180 --> 00:37:36.760 Well, I have no trouble with the ones around in the neighborhood at all because i've become acquainted with most of them 433 00:37:36.760 --> 00:37:38.820 except there's one family that 434 00:37:38.820 --> 00:37:41.020 There's one fellow there particularly that 435 00:37:41.640 --> 00:37:45.660 I disagree with and he doesn't like the idea and he's pretty he's pretty arrogant 436 00:37:45.660 --> 00:37:50.200 But uh, the only way to get along with him is just not to say too much about him 437 00:37:50.200 --> 00:37:52.620 He brings his dog around the neighborhood all the time 438 00:37:53.860 --> 00:37:54.340 Yeah 439 00:37:55.780 --> 00:38:02.540 Stick with us. Yeah, i'm trying to you haven't been mugged. I heard a couple times four times i've been mugged 440 00:38:03.580 --> 00:38:06.220 Held up. Oh, yes. I've been held up four times 441 00:38:07.820 --> 00:38:12.060 It doesn't it hasn't bothered me as yet though, but I don't know what's gonna happen 442 00:38:16.220 --> 00:38:16.580 My 443 00:38:25.580 --> 00:38:26.980 Oh 444 00:38:45.660 --> 00:38:46.760 What are the covers for? 445 00:38:47.820 --> 00:38:48.760 What are the covers for that? 446 00:38:48.760 --> 00:38:49.180 For what? 447 00:38:49.420 --> 00:38:49.860 For this. 448 00:38:50.540 --> 00:38:52.100 Well, they're all in there. 449 00:38:52.280 --> 00:38:52.800 Over here. 450 00:38:53.760 --> 00:38:56.000 When you lived in Austin, how many years were you there? 451 00:38:56.000 --> 00:38:59.200 Well, I lived in Austin some years ago, and there was a member to church. 452 00:38:59.320 --> 00:39:02.120 And like many of the other members, we all moved away to the suburbs 453 00:39:02.120 --> 00:39:03.640 or to different parts of Chicago. 454 00:39:04.200 --> 00:39:07.140 But those people that were dedicated stayed here 455 00:39:07.140 --> 00:39:12.380 and wanted to see this church go on, regardless. 456 00:39:12.860 --> 00:39:15.740 So most of us are from distant neighborhoods, 457 00:39:16.100 --> 00:39:19.320 and we're still trying to keep this church going until such time 458 00:39:19.320 --> 00:39:22.080 as we can teach the black people how to operate a church 459 00:39:22.580 --> 00:39:24.540 and what to do to keep it going. 460 00:39:24.820 --> 00:39:27.600 So then the white congregation will stop coming? 461 00:39:27.600 --> 00:39:30.160 Eventually the white congregation will stop. 462 00:39:30.220 --> 00:39:31.520 Most of them are old people. 463 00:39:31.600 --> 00:39:34.540 Many of them retire and move away, far away. 464 00:39:34.940 --> 00:39:37.980 Others move too far to be able to come to church here on Sunday. 465 00:39:38.460 --> 00:39:42.220 And most of them that are dedicated now are far enough 466 00:39:42.220 --> 00:39:44.660 where it is an inconvenience for them to come here 467 00:39:44.660 --> 00:39:46.260 to various meetings and things. 468 00:39:47.000 --> 00:39:48.460 Are you residents of the area? 469 00:39:48.900 --> 00:39:49.720 Yes, ma'am. 470 00:39:50.160 --> 00:39:50.960 Right around the corner. 471 00:39:50.980 --> 00:39:52.560 Right around the corner is right. 472 00:39:54.120 --> 00:39:55.200 How is that? 473 00:39:55.260 --> 00:39:58.100 How do you feel about them moving out? 474 00:39:59.300 --> 00:40:01.060 Well, I think we should stay. 475 00:40:02.720 --> 00:40:04.940 We should stay and do the best we can. 476 00:40:04.940 --> 00:40:07.400 I don't know. My family won't come to see me anymore. 477 00:40:07.580 --> 00:40:08.140 They won't? 478 00:40:08.280 --> 00:40:09.500 Nope, till I move. 479 00:40:10.040 --> 00:40:11.680 What reason do they give you? 480 00:40:12.080 --> 00:40:13.860 The neighborhood. They're afraid. 481 00:40:14.100 --> 00:40:14.840 Even in the daytime? 482 00:40:15.080 --> 00:40:15.500 Yeah. 483 00:40:16.340 --> 00:40:20.000 My future plan is for if I can get enough children in this area, 484 00:40:20.060 --> 00:40:23.980 I want bowling leagues, basketball teams. 485 00:40:24.380 --> 00:40:28.120 I want an office where your children are troubled 486 00:40:28.120 --> 00:40:30.580 if they would have somebody that has had the training 487 00:40:30.580 --> 00:40:31.900 that they could come to. 488 00:40:32.300 --> 00:40:35.160 And I would like a babysitting service with the teenagers. 489 00:40:35.220 --> 00:40:38.560 So these are the things that I have in the future. 490 00:40:38.560 --> 00:40:40.140 How long have you been involved with the church? 491 00:40:40.240 --> 00:40:42.880 Well, I've always been interested in children. 492 00:40:43.400 --> 00:40:44.500 I'm working with children. 493 00:40:45.040 --> 00:40:48.700 So many of us say that we don't have the time, 494 00:40:48.860 --> 00:40:52.600 and I think that sometimes someone has to have the time. 495 00:40:52.820 --> 00:40:55.040 And this is why no one pushed me. 496 00:40:55.100 --> 00:40:57.860 This is something that I really enjoy doing. 497 00:40:58.140 --> 00:41:04.100 Now this is our hope that again this church will be filled with children 498 00:41:04.100 --> 00:41:06.940 and that there will be activities every day in the week. 499 00:41:06.940 --> 00:41:09.200 This is what we're hoping for and praying for. 500 00:41:09.460 --> 00:41:10.640 There's no reason in the world. 501 00:41:10.920 --> 00:41:15.180 I counted 37 children on the street just west of here 502 00:41:15.180 --> 00:41:18.080 between Lake and Fulton the other day. 503 00:41:18.860 --> 00:41:19.820 37 children. 504 00:41:20.120 --> 00:41:21.920 And you know, they ought to be here. 505 00:41:23.040 --> 00:41:23.700 Here come the kids. 506 00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:24.560 Here come the kids. 507 00:41:28.700 --> 00:41:29.660 What happened? 508 00:41:30.220 --> 00:41:31.280 Two's in his mouth. 509 00:41:31.560 --> 00:41:33.680 What happened to your mouth? 510 00:41:33.760 --> 00:41:34.240 You got burnt. 511 00:41:34.640 --> 00:41:35.660 I broke out a rash. 512 00:41:36.240 --> 00:41:37.380 Y'all want to go down to the crib? 513 00:41:37.640 --> 00:41:38.480 Where y'all want to go? 514 00:41:38.520 --> 00:41:39.420 To the crib. 515 00:41:39.540 --> 00:41:41.660 Y'all dogs nearly ate us because we was playing basketball. 516 00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:43.940 Yeah, man, that mud, we tried to fight. 517 00:41:44.240 --> 00:41:45.680 And that mud back there, Jay. 518 00:41:46.140 --> 00:41:47.400 We ain't got no one else. 519 00:41:47.680 --> 00:41:50.500 Y'all look at Michael's leg. 520 00:41:51.240 --> 00:41:52.260 Look at Michael's leg. 521 00:41:52.420 --> 00:41:52.940 See, you beat it up. 522 00:41:52.980 --> 00:41:53.640 Thank you, Randall. 523 00:41:54.080 --> 00:41:55.720 Thank you, Randall. 524 00:41:55.840 --> 00:41:56.340 We won. 525 00:41:56.780 --> 00:41:56.780 526 00:41:57.060 --> 00:41:57.500 We're going. 527 00:41:59.220 --> 00:42:03.140 Hey, man, tell them about that pig with the 45-magnum. 528 00:42:03.140 --> 00:42:04.000 Yeah, he ran. 529 00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:05.020 We get him across the head. 530 00:42:05.900 --> 00:42:08.260 No, we were just coming home from the store. 531 00:42:08.520 --> 00:42:11.520 It was late, and the police stopped. 532 00:42:11.600 --> 00:42:13.860 You know, somebody had broken the store up on the corner. 533 00:42:14.240 --> 00:42:17.640 And we were walking down the street, and he scared of the police. 534 00:42:18.760 --> 00:42:19.960 And the police stopped him. 535 00:42:19.960 --> 00:42:24.120 He tried to run, and he pulled out a gun on him and caught him. 536 00:42:24.120 --> 00:42:25.280 He said, you better stop. 537 00:42:25.320 --> 00:42:27.060 He stopped and started hollering mama. 538 00:42:27.240 --> 00:42:28.200 And he came back. 539 00:42:28.200 --> 00:42:29.720 And that's when he ran to his po. 540 00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:33.060 And he threw him up against the car and frisked him. 541 00:42:33.060 --> 00:42:36.860 And then he told all of us to get in the car, and he slapped him on the side of his head. 542 00:42:36.860 --> 00:42:38.080 He fell in on me. 543 00:42:39.160 --> 00:42:41.620 And then they took us down to the station. 544 00:42:41.840 --> 00:42:42.140 Tell them about what you did to the skin, Sam. 545 00:42:42.940 --> 00:42:43.980 What skin is that? 546 00:42:45.080 --> 00:42:46.120 What about Leroy? 547 00:42:46.580 --> 00:42:49.180 Oh, that was a long time ago. 548 00:42:49.640 --> 00:42:51.040 Well, we want to hear about Leroy. 549 00:42:51.380 --> 00:42:53.340 When we asked you about Leroy, yeah. 550 00:42:53.340 --> 00:42:55.080 The cops picked me up for some cigarettes. 551 00:42:55.700 --> 00:42:57.220 They asked me, told me I fit a description. 552 00:42:58.080 --> 00:42:59.440 And they said, what's your name? 553 00:42:59.500 --> 00:43:00.380 I said, Leroy. 554 00:43:00.860 --> 00:43:02.300 They said, yeah, that's his name, too. 555 00:43:02.300 --> 00:43:03.880 I said, no, but my name's Michael Morris. 556 00:43:03.920 --> 00:43:05.640 And they jumped on me. 557 00:43:06.380 --> 00:43:08.600 Anyway, we were walking at the Austin Town Hall. 558 00:43:08.920 --> 00:43:11.300 I walked up there one day, coming from school. 559 00:43:11.700 --> 00:43:13.740 Walked up there and going in the building. 560 00:43:13.960 --> 00:43:16.780 Two boys grabbed me, told me the place was closed. 561 00:43:17.240 --> 00:43:18.700 And they asked me, do I want to join the gang? 562 00:43:18.760 --> 00:43:19.880 I said, no, no, thank you. 563 00:43:20.140 --> 00:43:23.120 So they said, no, you're in the gang, so be back up here at 630. 564 00:43:23.460 --> 00:43:24.900 So I started to walk out. 565 00:43:25.080 --> 00:43:26.320 They jumped on me. 566 00:43:27.240 --> 00:43:29.580 And, all right, we walking home. 567 00:43:29.760 --> 00:43:31.020 Then we go over to the playground. 568 00:43:33.300 --> 00:43:34.260 All right. 569 00:43:34.600 --> 00:43:37.500 When we got there, we looked at gunshots. 570 00:43:37.980 --> 00:43:39.020 Everything was going on. 571 00:43:39.060 --> 00:43:41.660 So we got over there and asked everybody what had been happening. 572 00:43:42.500 --> 00:43:47.120 They said a bunch of dudes that was trying to start a gang had came over there, 573 00:43:48.020 --> 00:43:57.660 took all of their money and told them they better be up on the corner of Kilbourne and Madison with $2 to get them a tam. 574 00:43:57.660 --> 00:44:00.980 Or else they might as well not come around that neighborhood no more. 575 00:44:02.680 --> 00:44:05.780 They didn't show up to about a town. 576 00:44:06.180 --> 00:44:09.600 The next day they were up at Marconi School playing basketball. 577 00:44:11.260 --> 00:44:15.540 All of a sudden they heard some shots and kids were shooting at them and stuff like that. 578 00:44:15.840 --> 00:44:20.720 And they had to run home and stay in the house for a little while until everybody had left. 579 00:44:22.140 --> 00:44:25.160 From then on, they would barge from Marconi for a long time. 580 00:44:25.160 --> 00:44:26.840 They couldn't play far there. 581 00:44:27.460 --> 00:44:36.600 Then about a week or two afterwards, a boy got shot running away from an area. 582 00:44:38.500 --> 00:44:44.120 And he ran for about another five to six feet and fell over. 583 00:44:44.700 --> 00:44:50.300 Well, now you guys all come up in neighborhoods that are pretty rough neighborhoods. 584 00:44:50.840 --> 00:44:53.880 What's it like around here compared to... 585 00:44:54.620 --> 00:44:57.380 You can walk up and down the streets around here. 586 00:44:57.800 --> 00:45:02.620 It's just up at Central Madison, back east and back south. 587 00:45:02.620 --> 00:45:05.200 Why do some kids get in gangs and some kids don't? 588 00:45:06.280 --> 00:45:08.940 Most kids that get in gangs are scared of themselves. 589 00:45:09.160 --> 00:45:12.140 They're so shaky it's a shame. 590 00:45:12.580 --> 00:45:17.160 But as long as they know they're in a gang, they think they've got a lot of protection and stuff like that. 591 00:45:17.160 --> 00:45:19.980 If you get in trouble, you can go get your gang. 592 00:45:20.080 --> 00:45:23.140 You can rely on your gang to come help you kill somebody. 593 00:45:24.200 --> 00:45:27.820 You can just dodge the trouble by yourself and stay out of their way. 594 00:45:28.300 --> 00:45:31.140 Why do gangs just pick on anybody at random? 595 00:45:32.480 --> 00:45:35.400 Well, most gangs just want somebody to recruit. 596 00:45:36.800 --> 00:45:38.720 They just say you're in their gang. 597 00:45:39.100 --> 00:45:42.320 Whether you help them fight, they don't matter. 598 00:45:42.320 --> 00:45:48.100 But if it's a big fight and they ask you to fight and you don't fight, they hurt you. 599 00:45:49.040 --> 00:45:51.880 Why don't you just join a gang then? 600 00:45:52.780 --> 00:45:55.260 Well, most of the time you just don't want to. 601 00:45:56.240 --> 00:46:00.200 You join the gang if you're scared for protection. I ain't scared. 602 00:46:03.280 --> 00:46:08.420 That as far as the gang activity in the neighborhood, 603 00:46:09.160 --> 00:46:12.860 that the only way you can control it is through organization. 604 00:46:14.380 --> 00:46:17.620 The only neighborhoods that have controlled it have been organized. 605 00:46:17.960 --> 00:46:20.000 Block clubs, men's groups, whatever. 606 00:46:20.680 --> 00:46:23.420 When you see something, you're going to have to become involved in it. 607 00:46:23.420 --> 00:46:25.360 If you don't want to do that, you might as well forget it. 608 00:46:25.820 --> 00:46:29.080 If you see something, you're going to have to go to court and testify to it. 609 00:46:29.220 --> 00:46:33.260 If you see a kid get beat up out there on the street instead of turning your back and walking the other way, 610 00:46:33.280 --> 00:46:37.740 you're going to have to come forward, go to court and testify and point somebody out. 611 00:46:37.740 --> 00:46:44.800 The only way you can be intimidated is that we let you go up there by yourself and let them intimidate you. 612 00:46:45.060 --> 00:46:50.920 In a case like that, they suggest when a person in a block club or anybody sees something, points a person out, 613 00:46:51.060 --> 00:46:54.660 when court time comes, you all go up there and give them moral support. 614 00:46:55.080 --> 00:46:57.280 The same thing as the youth gang would give their own members. 615 00:46:57.620 --> 00:47:04.580 Let's face it, you've got a lot of lazy policemen that, you know, when you've got a changing situation like this, 616 00:47:04.580 --> 00:47:10.140 there's a tendency on some part of some of these policemen to say, you know, what the heck, you know what I mean? 617 00:47:10.400 --> 00:47:12.820 It's going to go anyway. Why worry about it? 618 00:47:13.020 --> 00:47:19.340 I mean, this is, the only difference between here and any other area that is either totally white 619 00:47:20.220 --> 00:47:24.980 is the fact that these people are concerned, they have a political influence and they use it. 620 00:47:25.400 --> 00:47:29.040 They get on the phone and they call. You don't take an action, they complain and they continue to complain 621 00:47:29.040 --> 00:47:31.580 until you find out and then you respond to it. 622 00:47:31.580 --> 00:47:34.620 They will do what they have to do to keep you off their backs. 623 00:47:36.180 --> 00:47:38.600 What could they set up something quick like this? 624 00:47:39.040 --> 00:47:40.740 Oh, that's a house. Do you have a backyard? 625 00:47:41.220 --> 00:47:41.960 Yeah, I have a backyard. 626 00:47:42.080 --> 00:47:45.240 Well, then that's all you need is a backyard. 627 00:47:45.440 --> 00:47:46.600 You want to tour my house? 628 00:47:47.460 --> 00:47:49.700 Well, see, you want to help the kids. 629 00:47:50.020 --> 00:47:52.020 I want to help them, but the thing about it... 630 00:47:52.020 --> 00:47:53.340 You have to get involved. 631 00:47:53.680 --> 00:47:56.820 Yeah, I'm involved. I'm involved in everything that goes on. 632 00:47:56.820 --> 00:48:06.240 I was thinking you could like furnish the services of the people that want to use it. 633 00:48:06.940 --> 00:48:10.920 Like, there's a lot of things that people have to have done around their houses. 634 00:48:11.440 --> 00:48:16.440 We can have services done and we can go do it for the raffles. 635 00:48:17.840 --> 00:48:18.560 Raffles lost to the raffles. 636 00:48:19.180 --> 00:48:23.480 That's a good idea. And then it won't cost anybody nothing. You'll still be making money. 637 00:48:24.400 --> 00:48:27.660 You know, like, each boy might donate one hour. 638 00:48:27.700 --> 00:48:31.020 Like, if you win first prize, you get four hours where you could, you know, 639 00:48:31.060 --> 00:48:36.920 get one of the boys to clean up your yard or clean out the garage or the basement or something like that. 640 00:48:36.940 --> 00:48:39.360 I'm talking about how would you set this up on a raffle ticket, though? 641 00:48:39.380 --> 00:48:40.300 You get the ticket. 642 00:48:40.980 --> 00:48:42.640 No, we're selling the tickets. 643 00:48:42.860 --> 00:48:44.940 We can sell what it is. I don't mean... 644 00:48:44.940 --> 00:48:48.080 We were ready to go up our time to do it, so then I just... 645 00:48:48.620 --> 00:48:49.740 That's a pretty good deal. 646 00:48:51.180 --> 00:48:53.840 You go to the block club every Thursday. 647 00:48:53.880 --> 00:48:57.820 You meet new people. You find out who lives next door, down the street. 648 00:48:58.260 --> 00:49:01.980 And that way, like, you know, everybody knows everybody in the block 649 00:49:01.980 --> 00:49:06.500 that's in any way connected to the block club or does anything active in the community. 650 00:49:07.220 --> 00:49:11.060 And I think it helps you feel more at ease. 651 00:49:11.240 --> 00:49:14.760 Like, even though we have a rise in crime rate in this neighborhood 652 00:49:14.760 --> 00:49:19.060 and we've had, like, curse-snatchings and a couple of ladies have been assaulted, 653 00:49:19.060 --> 00:49:22.160 that you feel more confident when you can walk down the street and say, 654 00:49:22.600 --> 00:49:28.900 well, if anything happens, I know that Mr. Jones or Mr. Brown or, you know, Ms. Savage lives, 655 00:49:28.900 --> 00:49:31.220 you know, right here next door, down the street. 656 00:49:31.420 --> 00:49:35.940 And you can, like, you know, running and knocking the door and say, you know, somebody's after me. 657 00:49:36.400 --> 00:49:39.360 But I did notice that since we moved into the area, 658 00:49:39.820 --> 00:49:43.600 that the things that they mentioned at the block club, like the decrease in services 659 00:49:45.360 --> 00:49:48.420 and sanitation in the alleys, like, those problems, I think, 660 00:49:49.040 --> 00:49:51.640 are the problems of this whole neighborhood in general, you know, 661 00:49:51.640 --> 00:49:54.380 not just a couple of individual cases. 662 00:49:54.820 --> 00:49:58.720 Even though, you know, we have these few small problems in the neighborhood, 663 00:49:59.200 --> 00:50:03.540 one of the things that I was happy about was that I noticed that a lot of people in this area 664 00:50:03.540 --> 00:50:04.900 care about their property. 665 00:50:06.240 --> 00:50:10.180 They're remodeling the outsides of the homes, fixing up the yards. 666 00:50:10.860 --> 00:50:14.520 And even though you have to spend a few extra dollars, you know, 667 00:50:14.520 --> 00:50:18.100 I think it's really worth it if you could have a neighborhood that, you know, you're proud to say, 668 00:50:18.440 --> 00:50:20.560 well, you know, I live in a 100 block, unwind. 669 00:50:47.760 --> 00:50:52.380 And I like to, I'm glad we have this much space for the plant, 670 00:50:52.380 --> 00:50:55.620 anything we want to plant around here this time. 671 00:50:56.760 --> 00:50:58.360 And so I like to hear that. 672 00:50:58.540 --> 00:51:00.040 I like this place. 673 00:51:00.220 --> 00:51:05.660 We have a large house, plenty of room, and everything is convenient. 674 00:51:05.660 --> 00:51:09.720 And it's nice around here, quiet and peaceful. 675 00:51:10.760 --> 00:51:12.820 And so I like to hear that. 676 00:51:12.820 --> 00:51:21.140 So, and I just hope to be, you know, ten long, enjoying around here. 677 00:51:23.780 --> 00:51:24.460 Come on. 678 00:51:25.640 --> 00:51:27.000 Come on. 679 00:51:27.940 --> 00:51:29.760 Come on, pick it up. 680 00:51:30.160 --> 00:51:31.320 Come on. 681 00:51:31.740 --> 00:51:32.320 That's right. 682 00:51:32.520 --> 00:51:32.800 Come on. 683 00:51:34.320 --> 00:51:38.380 Your mom has a very special day. 684 00:51:39.800 --> 00:51:41.380 I'm going to use the white one. 685 00:51:42.380 --> 00:51:43.660 I love keeping it. 686 00:52:38.380 --> 00:52:38.380 687 00:53:08.380 --> 00:53:08.760 Yeah.