Dudley Street Initiative

  
       The Holding Ground Video documents the initiatives of the Dorchester and Roxbury communities and their attempts to regain power back within these communities in order to provide quality neighborhood living conditions as well as afordable housing.  The main issues within these communities were poverty and illegal dumping of trash in vacant lots.  This all started when people began to move out of the city and into the suburbs.  Due to racial inequality among Irish American politicians and bank representatives, only whites were being offered bank loans and housing programs in order to get out of the city.  The black community was left with no other option but to stay in the city.  Soon after that many houses were intentionally burned down to the ground.  This then left tons of vacant lots around the neighborhood. The slippery slope doesn't end there.  People outside of this community began using these vacant lots illegally for garbage transfer stations and illegal dumping.  Garbage piled the streets and the stench became so rancid people could not go outside without becoming nauseated.  It got to the point that something needed to be done.  Initially the government wanted to buy out the property within the community and basically knock down all the buildings and rebuild their own ideas of a "good" community.  This was known as the Urban Renewel Attempts.  The community was outraged at the idea that the government thought they knew what was best for them.  So after many community meetings a new idea emerged. This idea was Urban Planners.  These urban planners provided areas for growth and education.  It allowed for community ideas to be put into action. The community was able to renovate the parks and even get the police more involved in cutting down crime.  These attempts went on for many years and finally the community received a 4 million dollar grant.  This money allowed the community to clean of their neighborhoods and provide affordable housing for everyone.  

       I think this video showed the concept of macro practice very well.  I'm able to see how a community joinged together from the ground up and all work towards a common goal to better everyone apart of the Dudley Street area.  I was amazed at the outcome of their efforts.  It really makes me think that when people band together a difference can be achieved.  

       The Fraser and Kick article (2005) describes the Neighbordooh Maintenance Approach.  This approach focuses on communities actively protecting their own neighborhoods from perceived and actual threats.  The Dudley Street Initiative is a perfect example of this approach.  The Netting chapter describes the variabilities of what community is.  Netting states that communities can exist within communities.  The Dudley Street Initiative is another perfect example of this concept.  The Roxbury community as a whole was not exactly the target of the project.  Instead, the triangular area surrounding Dudley Street was the main area where people joined together to build a smaller community of people who were directly affected by the poverty and dumping issue.  I feel as though this Holding Ground video was a great example of macro practice.