Loving Precious

Last night, I attended an early release of the movie "Precious" starring Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, and introducing Gabourey Sadibe. The story is about a 16 year-old girl from Harlem (circa 1987) named Claireece Precious Jones. She's black, fat, ugly, pregnant with her second child, and illiterate. Oh yeah, and let's not forget that she's also being sexually, physically, and emotionally abused by her mother and father. I don't want to ruin the film for those of you who plan to view it, so I'll spare you the gruesome details.

Despite my efforts to support quality African American films, I can not place my seal of approval on this one. Sorry Tyler and Oprah. The film was racist, stereotypical, disturbing, and uninspiring. To be fair, I must admit that there was a lot of truth in Precious' story. Having grown up in an inner city in New Jersey, I have witnessed child abuse, dependence and manipulation of welfare, complacency, unstable households, poor schools, and disdain toward white America. But my disgust with this film is predicated on the summation and exaggeration of these elements in the young life of Precious. Yes, one or two of these things may afflict a young girl or many young girls in River East, but the picture painted here is a worst case scenario. And with all the gore and unsettling stereotypes of African Americans, the filmmakers went to such lengths to exploit, the story could have at least ended on a positive note or sounded a call of action - but there was none.

I have not been informed, "empowered", or swayed to write to the Chancellor of Schools, my council member, or congresswoman. Instead, I'm sick to my stomach. This is the kind of movie that creates racists, instead of inspiring original thinkers and innovative leaders.

Despite my disapproval for the film, I do recognize Sapphire, the author of the book PUSH, on which the movie is based, for her good intentions. Her objective probably was to place the spotlight on the struggles of young women in inner cities, but her technique was overkill and will likely result in unintended consequences.

But the bottom line is we've all come in contact with a Precious. But we must ask ourselves: do we greet Precious when we pass her on Good Hope Road, or do we pretend we don't see her? Do we call Child Protective Services when we notice a black eye, or do we say, "That's her and her momma's business?" Do we reprimand rowdy girls poll-dancing on the Green Line , or do we move to the opposite end of the Metro car and turn the volume up on our iPods?

These are the questions I have savaged from Sapphire's tail. I just wish the world wasn't so hard and cold that loving and standing up for a child who is not our own has become such a radical idea.

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A lesson from Korean cram schools

When I was in elementary school, I was a member of the black girl clique. One day, I got into a serious arguement with my friends, and asked my Asian classmates if I could hang with them until things cooled off with the sisters. They welcomed me with open arms. It was then, as a 6th grader, the difference between culture became apparent. For example, at lunch, the black girls talked about popular TV shows, hairstyles, weekend plans, and boys. When I started chilling with the Asian chics, I noticed our time together was dominated by our academics. We did homework together, studied together, quizzed each other before tests, and scolded each other if our grades slipped. For the first time in my life, I became a model student.

I am not the only non-Asian who has been influenced by this kind of work ethic.  Last Sunday's Washington Post article, Preparing for More Than a Quiz highlighted Korean "Cram Schools" developed to supplement the standard 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. education students receive in public schools. These cram schools have been instrumental in helping Korean (and a growing number of white) students reinforce lessons learned in class, ace the SAT, and nearly guarantee entrance into Virginia and Maryland's top high schools and colleges. 

How does this apply to River East?  Well, the bottom line is that we need to stop making excuses for our children's academic performance.  Leaders in our community explain that many River East children grow up in low-income single parent families and they simply don't have the resources or environmental setting to excel in academics. While there is validity to this excuse, we just have to over come it.  Many of the black students in my private elementary school came from families that were just as financially and socially secure as our white and Asian counterparts; however, we still managed to rank at the bottom of scholastic achievement. This leads me to believe that our problem is not solely economic, but it is a matter of values and sacrifice.

One example of sacrifice is Shirley Harrell, a divorced single mother of two boys in Harlem, NY.  She's a full time department store cashier and part time college student. Six days out of the week, Shirley and her sons commute from Harlem to Queens so her children can attend a Korean cram school after their school day has ended.  Her sons' grades went from C's to A's. It's important to note that they enjoy attending these schools. They have all the fun that their African American peers do, but they simply put their academics first.  

When asked about the financial burden of the supplemental education for her eldest son, Shirley explained, ""I'll do anything legal to come up with the money. If he wants to get ahead [with a SAT cram school], I'm going to help him."  

I know there are many parents in River East who are just like Shirley. We just need to make the sacrifice. I look forward to the day when people say the African American community is pushing their children too hard.  But of course, we'll learn a lesson from our Korean brothers and sisters in maintaining a healthy balance between social interaction and scholastic achievement.

The author of Talking Stuff posted excellent commentary on this subject. Please visit if you get a chance!

Light up the Night!

Summer in River East is a special time of year.  It's a time for barbecues, block parties, go-go concerts, swimming, baseball, gardening, and fireworks.  Yes, summer in River East can be a lot of fun, but it can also be dangerous if we don't do our part in keeping the community safe.  

Much of what the average River East resident experiences is petty street crime. And a relatively easy way to curb it is to "Light up the Night."  When we light up the night, we turn on our porch lights and open our windows to the community.  People on the street can see us, and we can see them.  Plain and simple.  

Take a stroll down a River East street, and you'll notice that criminals have the advantage.  Our individualistic nature that causes us to shut the windows, pull the curtains, and dead-bolt the front door creates an environment were crime can flourish.  By providing the cover of night, we are making crime way too easy for criminals.  

With brighter safer streets, we will feel more comfortable taking public transportation at night, letting our children play outside, and walking (instead of driving) to the grocery store down the street.  

Light up the Night and make River East a more walkable and livable community!

reel Cares

On Saturday, River East Emerging Leaders partnered with DC Cares Servathon to give Oxon Run Park a facelift.  Reel members pictured above are preparing to plant the first of several trees that now call Washington Highlands home!

A Bitter Sweet Tax

Nobody likes paying taxes. We pay income taxes, sales tax, property tax, capital gains tax, and even death tax! While no one enjoys giving money to the government, most of us will agree that each tax strategically contributes to the the social benefits of living in Washington DC. If Council Member Tommy Wells has his way, we will pay a 5 cent tax on each plastic and paper bag we consume via the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act of 2009. Here's a snapshot of the legislation courtesy of Trash-free Anacostia.

Problem: 20,000 tons of trash enters the Anacostia River annually and 50% of that are plastic bags

Proposal: Customers will pay a 5 cent fee on all plastic and paper carryout bags from retail food establishments (grocery store, convenience stores, drug stores, and restaurants). Non-recyclable bags are banned. The fees paid by customers and fines levied on non-compliant businesses will be deposited into the Anacostia River Clean-up and Protection Fund.

Logic: If a customer has to pay for each bag received, he/she will be less likely to request a bag. If the customer doesn't receive the bag, the bag does not end up in the Anacostia River.

It is likely this legislation will, indeed, significantly reduce the amount of trash deposited in the Anacostia River. And a clean river is not only a natural beauty, but it can also stimulate recreation and economic opportunities along the waterfront.

With that being said, can you guess what's wrong with this legislation? That fact that it exists. It's shameful that we need the government to step in and regulate citizens' behavior in order to keep our community clean. Residents in communities along the Potomac River use as many plastic bags as we do in River East; however the Potomac River isn't infested with trash. This phenomenon leads one to think that our problem is not the plastic bags. Plastic bags do not grow legs and jump into the river. People in our community are careless with plastic bags, cans, and bottles and these items ultimately end up everywhere except where they belong: in the trashcan! Therefore, the problem lies in our attitudes, values, and beliefs about where we live.

Yes, the DC Council can levy a tax that will cleanse the river of plastic bags. But no amount of government intervention can cleanse our minds of an apathetic attitude towards our environment. Thank you, Council Member Wells for sprearheading this initiative. Hopefully there will come a time in River East when we are empowered to a level where we don't need government to force us to save our environment. One day, we will do it on our own. Conservation will have nothing to do with saving a nickel at the drug store. We will protect our river just because.

The American Dream Turn Nightmare?

Last Wednesday, President Obama announced a $75 billion plan to provide relief to up to 9 million homeowners facing unaffordable mortgages that can ultimately lead to foreclosure.  According to the Urban Institute, 43% of all foreclosures is a result of subprime adjustable -rate mortgages.  The millions of borrowers who fell for these alluring teaser-rate mortgages are now seeing their "American dream" evolve into a foreclosure nightmare.  

District homeowners are not exempt from the national housing crisis.  In fact, foreclosures in Washington DC has doubled between the years of 2005 and 2007.  While the highest number of foreclosures have been reported in Ward 5, the greatest percentage of sub-prime mortgages are found in Ward 7 and 8 (River East).  Given the foreclosure trends, this can mean one of two things: 1) homeowners with sub-prime mortgages in River East were more prepared to deal with fluctuations in the housing market or 2) homeowners have yet to reach the interest-rate adjustment period which makes  new monthly payments unaffordable. 

Because of the interconnectedness of each sector of the American economy,  the housing crisis has led to a nationwide economic downturn: banks are failing, businesses are cutting jobs, and almost every state in the Union is running record deficits.  There's plenty of blame to go around.  We can not control how markets perform, but we can control our own behavior.  And many of our problems are self-inflicted.  In many cases, it's not the mortgage that's causing the problem. It's the additional debt on top of the mortgage that makes homes unaffordable once interest rates increase.  For example, did you really need to charge the trip to Brazil on your credit card?  Did you really need to trade in the 2005 Corolla for a new Volkswagen? Do you really need 120 cable channels - how much TV can you watch? After doing a self- assessment, one is likely to realized that our own day-to-day decisions, made on an incremental basis, has led to the mess we're in.

The President's solution to dealing with this hiccup includes: helping homeowners refinance at lower interest rates, providing incentives for banks to modify loans, increasing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's ability to provide mortgages, and amending bankruptcy laws to allow judges to modify mortgages.  This sounds great, right?  Well the problem here is that this all costs money. Taxpayer's money.  Homeowners like many of us in River East have difficulty understanding why responsible borrowers like ourselves have to subsidize irresponsible homeowners who bought condos in Dupont Cirlce - even though they knew they couldn't afford it.  Is this policy fair to the conservative homeowner?  Not really.  Is supporting this policy the American thing to do? Absolutely. 

Yes, socialism is definitely necessary in the short term. However, moving forward, we have to find a way to prevent this from happening again.  Here is some advice friends, family, and professors have shared with me over the years:

1. If an offer sounds too good to be true - it usually is.
2. Refrain from signing anything you don't understand.  You are educated and you have common sense.  If you don't understand it, and if the person sitting next to you doesn't understand it - it's probably sketchy. In this situation, have an attorney review the documents.  If you can't afford a private attorney, visit a free legal clinic usually located on college campuses.
3. Don't live within your means - live beneath your means.  Just because Chevy Chase Bank approved you for a $300,000 loan doesn't mean you have to buy a house at that value. Instead, live beneath your means and buy a condo at half the cost.  Use the rest of the money to repay student loans, contribute towards retirement, or simply save for a rainy day.

The above tips have worked wonders for my friends, family, and self.  I hope they work for you too.  Please feel free to add to this list in the comments section.  We're all in this together, and we need to convene not only to share our wealth but also share our financial wisdom. This is the only way we'll create a foundation of financial security for ourselves, children, and grandchildren.