VIOLENCE. It can be found almost anywhere. From the screens of blockbuster films to the battlefields of Iraq but most agree it should never be found in the hallways of our schools.
A cycle of violence is how some would describe the altercations that have taken place in the hallways of Chester High School. But there are many Chester residents and leaders who would like to get beyond the surface of the hair-raising events. They want to dig deeper into the question as to why more than three-dozen students took part in what has been described by newspapers as a “brawl”. They want to get past the excitable articles and community gossip in order to get to the “root” of the problem.
Where the roots of the violence are may surprise some but not all, especially, if you have lived in Chester City for a number of years. According to some sources the most recent conflict took place on Tuesday November 18th. Apparently the dispute and brawl was incited by two family members, cousins, who have grudges that extend as far back as the summer. The details as to what these grudges are still have yet to be brought to light___ publicly.
“Unless you really put all the truth on the table…”
Community Leader and Reverend Rocky Brown
“…instead of sugarcoatin’ it… say it! Let’s talk about it! Let’s confront it! Why are these kids really fighting? What created this?”
When asking the tough questions there is often a fear of hearing the tough answers.
“There’s a break down in respect that the youth have with adults. And part of that hast to do with… the way that we raised them. The way that we live as adults and so I’m seeing the children as a total reflection of that.”, says Rev.Brown
The fear of both the violence and of the young people involved seems to play another key part in the cycle of violence between our streets and school hallways.
“People have to get rid of that fear. Do you know how many people are afraid to report crimes? … and that’s cultural crazy. And there’s a generation, I would say that’s… roughly thirty-five on down… they think that if you report a crime it’s snitchin’. So therefore people commit crimes, shoot other people. People don’t say nothing.”-Rev.Brown.
According to the Delco Times more than three dozen arrests were made at Chester High School in less than a week. Most were gang related incidents that entered the high school. There are a number of factors that have impacted the lives of Chester students in a negative way. Gang allegiances is only one of them but there are other foxes that undermine positive progress such as a city development plan that has no educational agenda, a poor tax base, a mortgaged school budget, a high crime & low job rate and a myriad of health problems that usually go unmentioned in community conversation.
Despite the mound of challenges community members decided to take action this past weekend thru a quick response to the recent events. Parents, faculty and community groups met at the Grace Community Church of Pastor Andrew Foster. Their goals were to discuss and strategize on what could be done.
“I do want to bring a message to you to encapsulate just what we’re trying to do at Chester High School… Chester makes what makes Chester.”, opens the Principal.
High School Principal Keith Arrington explained briefly what some of the challenges have been at CHS and what is needed from the community to make things better.
“If our young people are our most precious resource. Whose responsibility are they? Is it the job of the parents? Does the responsibility rest with the school? Is it left to the community to fix it’s own problems? Is the entire burden on our public officials? Whose responsibility is it? The answer is all of the above. As a collective we are Chester. Only working together can we actualize the credo Chester makes what makes Chester.”
The meeting was well received by many who attended. After Principal Arrington delivered his written report questions about general conflict issues took place but interestingly enough no one directly asked about the very incident that sparked the meeting itself. Causing some to wonder if Chester community leaders are ready, as a whole, to truly deal directly with the pink elephants that lurk among us. The need to be more intentional about programs is what some parents feel is missing.
“There’s always been talk of… or promises of what the school is gonna do but none of those things, from my stand point, has come to fruition… There’s nothing being done.”, argues a high school parent.
Some parents feel that too many empty promises have already been made.
“…and not just talk about it. We have to get past the planning stage and put some of these plans into action. I want to present to these parents of aggressors solutions. They already know what the problem is.”
Parents are fed up with the empty promises of city officials, community leaders and school leaders but they are also fed up with the shortcomings of other parents.
“When we start looking at preventative measures we have to include the entire family. If you have a student who is acting out and who is escalated… And you have a parent who comes in and continues to perpetuate that behavior than it’s not just an issue with the student. It becomes an issue with the family.”
The Chester Upland School District sees a serious void in the active participation of its school parents, which to some contributes a great deal to the problem of resolving conflicts. But it also sees a number community dynamics that are bigger factors to their troubles according to the Chester Upland Superintendent Dr.Gregory Thornton
“Our biggest challenge at Chester High School is the fact that we have a community that is… in unrest. It is a community that is challenged with a number of issues both gang related and territorial related. As a result they find their way to school.”
Dealing with these issues will take money but money is something the school district does not have. Money is also something that the city refuses to give. And to add more burden to the district’s financial problems Chester Upland is currently spending close to 3 million dollars a year between security funding and alternative schooling for troubled youth.
“As I talk to people in the community some of these issues have been happening for many-many years and there comes a point when you throw up your hands and say enough is enough.”-Thornton
Among school officials and community leaders it’s the role of parenting that has gotten the most blame but some leaders feel that it’s much more complicated than what’s been presented.
“Unfortunately in these meeting I think people are defending their positions as well as not trying to come off as holding the bag of blame… I think there was some underline assumptions that parents somehow didn’t care… or other wise engaged. I think that there are parents, who are themselves, struggling.”, considers Wanda Moore, Director of Peace in the Streets Peace on Earth.
Currently, Grace Community Church is endeavoring to pull as many groups and resources together throughout the city as it can with the help and direction of Rev. Richard Dalton of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. An organization that has done extensive Anti-Drug programs in Atlanta as well as aid families and community leaders by training them on how to serve in “at-risk” areas.
With all of this planning and organizing on behalf of the young residents of Chester City one must ask where do the youth fit in on the planning? What role can they play? We may have an opportunity to give young leaders a chance to rise to the occasion and help their peers because in the end their safety depends on it. www.ghettoPRINT.com