Fader wrote, (p. 12) “But the casual forces behind the precarious position of young men of color are structural and cannot be disassembled by one person’s good intentions.” This passage was both important and true for me, but it is often rejected as so. It says that there is more than just one thing or problem that most young men of color have to fight against. Their position in society is in fact precarious, it waivers and changes suddenly through forces often out of their control. However, these structural forces cannot be destroyed or maintained by one individual. The good intentions of one member of society, including the man of color himself, is not enough to breakdown the system that is working against them.
Society has the ability …show more content…
Here fader identifies that although these low income areas are usually large, well populated and within the same city, they are most often forgotten. Forgotten by businesses, politicians, society, love or a helping hand. But they are very well remembered by the police. According to Fader (p.30) Philadelphia has the highest rate of jail-based incarceration in the country. Unfortunately, with the rise and fall of crime in these areas police presence is often needed. Without the jobs, resources, community involvement, better education and more many individuals in these communities feel that their only option is a life of crime. Sadly these communities are often even forgotten by their own. By that I mean, individuals within these communities tend to limit themselves by allowing the ideals of the majority to influence their self-image. Feelings and thoughts of not being smart enough for college or this is the best I can do, drastically limits what they can do for themselves and their …show more content…
In order to truly want the best for someone, I think you have to have an appreciation for the things that they consider important. Throughout the chapters Fader reveals in her book that many of the counselors at Mountain Ride Academy did not and possibly could not, appreciate the value these young men placed on certain aspects of their life. Many of the things directly attached to their race, home, culture and image that they thought were important were the things that the academy and counselors wanted most to take away. This message from the counselors not only implied that the teens were not good enough, it also implied that specific group of people they belonged to, were wrong and had no value in society when compared to their own. The saddest part about this is that minorities have been sent this message for a long time and in various ways. It is a sad reality that these teens faced daily while at this academy. Fader summed it up well when she said that given the history that the African American people have had to face with the stigmas and shame handed down for centuries, it seems “physically damaging” for a staff – that looks nothing like them, to suggest that these young men be disgusted with who they are. It almost hurt to read that this is the message these young men received. In my opinion they could