Behind the Walls of the Ghetto
Rob Hill
Professor Terry Thuemling
WP121G
5 November 2004
Behind the Walls of the Ghetto Commenting on the famed Los Angeles ghetto in which he grew up, gangster rapper Ice Cube asserts, "If you ain 't never been to the ghetto, don 't ever come to the ghetto" (Cube, Ghetto Vet). But why are American ghettos filled with so much violence, drugs, and inopportunity? In John Singleton 's powerful drama Boyz N the Hood the harsh reality of youths growing up in South Central Los Angeles, a place where drive-by shootings and unemployment are rampant, is brought to life. Shot entirely on location in South Central LA, Boyz N the Hood presents its story with maximum honesty and realism. The movie is a prime example of how American ghettos are dead end environments with minute chances for survival. If we are to put an end to the destitute, prison-like ghetto environments, we first need to take a look at what goes on there. One can point to many initiating factors from racism to property owner 's aspirations of gentrification that create ghettos. Furious Styles, the strong and intelligent father of the film 's main character Tre, addresses the issue of why these areas are in such a dire state when he says:
[ ] How do you think the crack rock gets into the country we [black people] don 't own any planes, we don 't own no ships we are not the people who are flyin ' and floatin ' that shit in here [ ] why is it that there a gun shop on almost every corner in this community? [ ] For the same reason that there 's a liquor store on almost every corner in the Black community, [ ] they want us to kill ourselves. You go out to Beverly Hills you don 't see that shit, the best way you can destroy a people is if you take away their ability reproduce themselves. (Singleton)
In this passage, Furious presents ideas of white property holders looking for the best way to exterminate the Black and Hispanic communities in their area. The late rapper Tupac Shakur once declared,
Professor Terry Thuemling
WP121G
5 November 2004
Behind the Walls of the Ghetto Commenting on the famed Los Angeles ghetto in which he grew up, gangster rapper Ice Cube asserts, "If you ain 't never been to the ghetto, don 't ever come to the ghetto" (Cube, Ghetto Vet). But why are American ghettos filled with so much violence, drugs, and inopportunity? In John Singleton 's powerful drama Boyz N the Hood the harsh reality of youths growing up in South Central Los Angeles, a place where drive-by shootings and unemployment are rampant, is brought to life. Shot entirely on location in South Central LA, Boyz N the Hood presents its story with maximum honesty and realism. The movie is a prime example of how American ghettos are dead end environments with minute chances for survival. If we are to put an end to the destitute, prison-like ghetto environments, we first need to take a look at what goes on there. One can point to many initiating factors from racism to property owner 's aspirations of gentrification that create ghettos. Furious Styles, the strong and intelligent father of the film 's main character Tre, addresses the issue of why these areas are in such a dire state when he says:
[ ] How do you think the crack rock gets into the country we [black people] don 't own any planes, we don 't own no ships we are not the people who are flyin ' and floatin ' that shit in here [ ] why is it that there a gun shop on almost every corner in this community? [ ] For the same reason that there 's a liquor store on almost every corner in the Black community, [ ] they want us to kill ourselves. You go out to Beverly Hills you don 't see that shit, the best way you can destroy a people is if you take away their ability reproduce themselves. (Singleton)
In this passage, Furious presents ideas of white property holders looking for the best way to exterminate the Black and Hispanic communities in their area. The late rapper Tupac Shakur once declared,
Cited: Glaeser, Ed. "Ghettos." Regional Review 7 (1997): 1-7. & Delinquency. 40 (1994): 1-16. (1992): 1-11. Zukin, Sharon. "How ‘Bad ' Is It?: Institutions and Intentions in the Study Of the American Ghetto." International Journal of Urban & Regional Research 22 (1998): 1-11.