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Free To Grow
Mailman School
of Public Health
Columbia University
722 West 168th Street,
8th Floor
New York, NY 10032
Mailman School
of Public Health
Columbia University
722 West 168th Street,
8th Floor
New York, NY 10032
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Girls, gangs, women, and drugs Carl S. Taylor The author asserts that in Detroit and other American cities, young poor women have become just as alienated from mainstream culture as young men, and they are increasingly participating in gangs. During interviews with African-American girls and young women in Detroit's urban gangs, members describe their world of violence, fear, drugs, and anger. The women discuss their desire for power and wealth, their alienation from schools and other social institutions, and their experience with issues of gender, sex, drugs, and survival. Based on these interviews, the author realistically portrays the lives of many urban, low-income, African-American women. The author suggests that ‘oppressive hopelessness' is the key factor in their deteriorating quality of life, and using or selling drugs plays a defining role in their daily struggle. He argues that these women, seen as the epitome of ‘American failure' by the general public, are more than just a stereotype. Perhaps America has failed them. Claiming that the ‘hip-hop' culture of the inner cities symbolizes the political decay of urban life, the author calls on policymakers to attend to the needs of these women who live without hope for their future.
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Disclaimer Free To Grow is a national program supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with direction and technical assistance provided by the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University. |