Hope from the Ground Up
May 5th, 2008 by Dan Lavoie
An intern for San Francisco’s Literacy for Environmental Justice wrote a heartrending and hopeful op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle last week. La Constance “Connie” Shahid has lived in SF’s Bayview-Hunters Point community all of her 21 years. Here she is describing what it’s like to grow up in a forgotten neighborhood:
Let me tell you what it’s like to live in the Bayview. In six square miles, we have hundreds of toxic sites and the highest pollution emissions in the city. Thirty percent of my community is under the age of 21, more than in any other part of the city. We are twice as likely to be hospitalized from asthma as other city residents; there are increased rates of diabetes, as well as breast and cervical cancer.
It seems like there is a liquor store on every corner, housing is rundown, drugs are everywhere, police sirens are constantly racing down the streets, and gang violence is nearly inescapable. Having to be cautious of which streets to walk on and which to avoid isn’t a way to live freely. It’s a way to live in fear.
Too many of my peers live and die with the fantasy of “ghetto life”; they dream of big homes, fast cars, and a multi-million dollar jewelry collection. We know that we’re not offered the best in life, but we make do with what we have, and some of us are fighting to make it better. A few of us, the ones hiding in dark corners, have dreams that take us to universities like Howard, Fisk, and Texas Southern. These young people are working hard to make their dreams come true, so that they won’t have to worry about living their lives in fear.
Please take the time to read the whole article. Also, the insightful and innovative folks at Think MTV did a short video feature on Connie and the rest of the youth at Literacy for Environmental Justice. Check it out:
Tags: , bayview, environmental justice, health, literacy for environmental justice, neighborhood toxins, op-ed, san francisco chronicle