Educational resources for:
Urban Challenges
Thematic Overview
Urban life in the period from 1968 to the present witnessed a major drug epidemic and the flight of industries abroad, which created acute crises in housing, transportation, social services, and health for inner-city residents. Was "urban renewal" also "community renewal"? Or did it undermine communities in its attempt to alleviate serious social ills? ABJ shows examine these issues through interviews with community leaders and special feature programs.
Featured Show Segments
Comprehension Questions
Questions:
What are some of the problems the students at Northeastern High School identify about their school and the education they are receiving?
Why does host and narrator Tony Brown think it is important for viewers to pay attention to the concerns raised by the students?
Questions:
How does board member Alonzo Bates justify board spending on travel?
Questions:
What does board member Clara Rutherford offer as evidence of Detroit Public Schools success?
Questions:
What is Susan Watson’s view of the school board members’ spending priorities?
Questions:
According to Bobby Seale, what was the big turnaround that black people in America made during the 1960s?
Questions:
How does Bobby Seale distinguish what the 1960s were about from what he believes the 1980s should be about?
On what does Bobby Seale say he intends to focus his future efforts?
Questions:
According to Bobby Seale, what is the purpose of education?
Questions:
Why does Jackson believe the problems of crime and other immoral behavior are increasing?
Questions:
Why does Jackson think America should invest whatever it takes to make school secure?
Questions:
In the documentary report, what are some of the difficulties people describe that limit efforts to reduce gun violence?
Questions:
How does “Joe” explain the violence and the involvement of young teens in violent activity?
Questions:
What does professor Hartford Smith see as the key problems that are driving the rise in youth violence?
Questions:
What was the pledge that school officials asked parents to sign?
What does Teola Canty, President of the Detroit PTA, feel was one of the important outcomes of the meetings held that day in Detroit’s schools?
Questions:
What does George Vaughn say will be done to reach parents who did not sign the pledge?
Questions:
Why was there some disagreement over the use of hall and locker sweeps and metal detectors to find weapons smuggled into schools?
Questions:
Why did Erma Henderson stay in the mayoral election race, despite the adversities she faced in the campaign?
Questions:
What were some of the key issues Erma Henderson tried to advance in the campaign?
Questions:
What does Coleman Young identify as some of the positive results of a recent crackdown on crime?
Questions:
Why does Keith Butler believe Detroit’s public housing is in abysmal shape?
Why does Kevin Fobbs believe that the Habitat for Humanity approach works?
Questions:
Why does Keith Butler believe involvement of public housing residents in running public housing is essential?
Questions:
How does Nathan Conyers, owner of an area automobile dealership, assess the progress in increasing the number of African American auto dealerships?
Questions:
According to Charles Harrell, what is necessary for black auto dealers to succeed in the face of location and credit problems?
Questions:
How does Theresa Jones respond to the reluctance of African Americans to buy cars from black dealers?
Thematic questions
What kinds of concerns do you see being raised repeatedly in the programs highlighted under this theme?
How do different shows in this group provide different perspectives on the same subject -- such as education or teen violence?
If you had to choose, what would you say are the three most important challenges examined by the programs in this group, and why did you choose those issues?
Websites
The City of Detroit’s Planning and Development Department
http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/plandevl/
The department’s mission is to “strengthen and revitalize the City of Detroit’s neighborhoods and communities and to stabilize and transform our physical, social and economic environment.” Among other subjects, this site contains information including available grant and redevelopment programs available to community groups.
The Obsidian Society
http://www.theobsidiansociety.com/Welcome.html
“The Obsidian Society is a non-denominational fellowship of African American Christian scholars and leaders who have entered into community for the purpose of developing future generations of scholars and leaders in the service of the Kingdom of God.” The organization also seeks to “promote solidarity among North American black leaders.”
Michigan State Housing Development Authority
http://www.michigan.gov/mshda/
Contains information on the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Contains a wealth of resources for home buyers, the homeless and those with special housing needs, renter assistants, nonprofits, local governments, and developers, among others. Covers everything about Michigan Housing and Development from grant resources to reports on city living patterns.
National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/index.asp
A site sponsored by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and federal partner agencies. With a mission to “prevent violence committed by and against young people,” the center contains resources on a variety of topics including abuse and neglect, mental illness, and crime and delinquency.
FINE Network
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~hfrp/projects/fine.html
Part of the Harvard Family Research Project, the Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) seeks to strengthen and grow partnerships between schools/educators, families and communities.
Harvard Family Research Project
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/index.html
This Harvard Project is a project targeting disadvantaged youth through educational research, its publication and dissemination.
Related Films
Eyes on the Prize
VHS. 14 hours.
Multiple directors. Alexandria, VA: PBS Video, 1986.
An award-winning documentary series exploring major points in the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1985. Mixes archival footage with contemporary interviews.
School: Making the Grade
VHS. 30 minutes.
New York: Castle Works, 1998.
Part of the “In The Mix” Series targeting school educators and administrators, this episode showcases school programs which have reduced drop out rates and improved teacher-student communication.
Claiming Open Spaces
VHS/DVD.
90 minutes. Produced/Directed by Austin Allen. New York: National Black Programming Consortium, 1995.
A documentary focusing on how urban African Americans’ use of public space, namely parks, is sometimes in conflict with city planning. The cities and peoples of Columbus, Detroit, Montgomery, New Orleans and Oakland are featured.
Books
Brown, Cherie R. Leading Diverse Communities: A How-To Guide for Moving From Healing Into Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
A practical guide to building effective leadership, developing inclusive environments, and forming alliances in grass-roots organizing. This work was developed in partnership with the National Coalition Building Institute (http://www.ncbi.org/home/index.cfm).
Cole, David. No Equal Justice: Race and Class in the American Criminal Justice System. New York: The New Press, 1999.
An exploration of race and class based inequalities in the U.S. criminal justice system. The author posits reform strategies for leveling the playing field including youth incentives and community building to secure safe communities.
Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader: Documents, Speeches, and Firsthand Accounts from The Black Freedom Struggle, 1954-1990. New York: Penguin Books, 1991.
A companion volume to the PBS series Eyes on the Prize.
Garrett, Anne G. Keeping American Schools Safe: A Handbook for Parents, Students, Educators, Law Enforcement Personnel, and the Community. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland & Co., 2001.
A practical guide for those seeking to eliminate violence in schools. The author begins the work by documenting recent trends in school violence, moves to how one can identify potentially dangerous situations and recommends strategies for intervention.
Teaford, Jon C. The Rough Road to Renaissance: Urban Revitalization in America, 1940-1985.Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990.
The author examines urban revitalization efforts in twelve northeast and Midwest cities over a forty-five year period. He explores the influence of city politics, finance, and policy in the pursuit of urban renewal.
Additional show segments and comprehension questions
Questions:
According to Cornel West, what impact has America’s market culture had on families?
Questions:
How does Cornel West describe the popular image of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.?
What does West say is the challenge facing black leadership in the struggle to have society address the concerns of African Americans?
Questions:
What does Cornel West say about the relationship between love and hope?
Questions:
What was the purpose of the students’ trip to Atlanta?
Identify as many of the six principles of nonviolence as you can.
Identify as many of the six steps for nonviolent social change as you can.
Questions:
How does Coretta Scott King describe Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of the Beloved Community?
What does Coretta Scott King say is needed to create that community?
Questions:
What does Coretta Scott King say is the purpose of the King Center?
Why does Coretta Scott King say that it is important to focus on values?
Questions:
What does Minister Rasul Muhammad say is the purpose of the halfway houses that the Nation of Islam is setting up in Detroit?
Questions:
What are some of the concerns raised by Ken Cockrel in the brief series of historical clips that begin the program?
What does the retrospective suggest about Kenny Cockrel’s political philosophy?
What are the qualities that the other interview subjects identify as Kenny Cockrel’s strengths?
Questions:
How does Mike Hamlin describe the focus of Kenny Cockrel’s life?
How does Mike Hamlin say Kenny Cockrel’s efforts affected the auto industry and the UAW?
Why does Dennis Archer agree that black male leaders are “walking time bombs?”
Questions:
How would you summarize Dick Gregory’s argument that the series of child disappearances/killings in Atlanta were not the result of a typical serial killer?
Questions:
What evidence does Ernest Dillard cite to show that blacks have equal legal and political rights with whites?
What is Ernest Dillard’s view on affirmative action?
Questions:
Where does Ernest Dillard see common ground between blacks and whites?
Why does Ernest Dillard believe it is essential for blacks to focus on working with whites on economic issues?
Questions:
According to his daughter, Erma, why did Rev. Franklin not move his church after he became well-known and successful?
What are some of the qualities that others admired in Rev. Franklin?
What do you think was the relationship between Rev. Franklin’s religious role and his participation in the civil rights movement?
Why do you think Rev. Franklin was so influential?
Questions:
What does John Conyers mean when he says that the struggle for civil rights is moving into the area of human rights?
What examples do John Conyers offers to illustrate the scope of human rights issues?
Questions:
What are some of the examples John Conyers offers of situations in which the idea of reparations has been used before?
