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A Personal Narrativ e \f 9 eases, an d I neede d i t fro m responsible , informe d people . M y not-so much -older sibling s wer e o f littl e help , a s we al l wer e o n ou r ow n an d had t o lear n fro m experience . It' s a miracle tha t I didn' t ge t som e chil d pregnant. I canno t remembe r a tim e whe n an y o f th e father s o f my sibling s helped De e suppor t o r rear us. Their absenc e mad e our lives much mor e precarious, comin g o n to p o f th e genera l povert y an d racia l cast e i n Columbus. Fo r u s ther e wa s onl y Dee . Sh e neve r lef t us . Sh e kep t u s together an d provide d fo r u s a s bes t sh e could . Th e eleve n o f u s jour neyed through the ghetto, collectively and individually, a loose but stron g confederation, th e olde r kid s supervisin g th e younge r one s whe n De e was working. BLACK COLUMBU S The danger s of racial caste in America are real and growing worse. By the time I wa s born , i n 1960 , al l o f Ohio' s earlie r officia l racis t policie s ha d been repealed , bu t racia l cast e remaine d nevertheless : inadequat e food , clothing, an d shelter ; substandar d schools , illiteracy , an d hig h dropou t rates; fe w occupationa l opportunities , two-digi t unemploymen t figures, and poverty wages; households headed disproportionatel y by single working mothers an d inadequat e chil d supervision ; insufficien t se x educatio n and consequen t tee n parenting ; poo r healt h care , exposur e t o harmfu l chemicals and toxins, and disproportionately higher mortality rates; crime, drug-related violence , and communitie s unde r sieg e b y police who ofte n seem unabl e t o distinguis h betwee n lawfu l citizen s an d criminals ; an d racial animu s i n th e crimina l justic e syste m tha t cause s man y blac k defendants t o receive punishment disproportionatel y greater than that for whites convicte d o f similar offenses. N o on e ca n endur e suc h condition s for long without becoming angry, hardened, an d beref t o f hope. Life i s desperate i n a black ghetto . Children's basi c need s g o unmet . Rather tha n spendin g tim e i n school , i n community centers , o r at camp, they ar e i n th e street s hustlin g whateve r the y can , just t o get by . Som e see n o choic e bu t t o sel l themselves . A s the y gro w older , the y acquir e few skill s fo r whic h industr y wil l pa y the m a living wage . The y atten d school bu t struggl e t o lear n t o read . Fo r some , thei r greates t concer n i s obtaining foo d and/o r shelter . Thei r rol e model s ar e no t teacher s o r ministers bu t dru g pusher s o r pimp s wh o mak e mor e mone y an d hav e nicer possessions than mos t black people the y know with lawfu l jobs. To 10 I f A Personal Narrativ e some, crime seem s t o pay, and t o many, the constan t deprivatio n create s anger and racial hatred . Americans living in a racial caste often thin k they have a better chanc e for succes s an d materia l wealt h b y peddlin g dop e o r stealing . An d be cause they don't value their own lives, they don't value others'. In such a situation, n o one i s safe. Th e adven t o f crack cocain e i n th e ghett o an d the sprea d o f gangs an...

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