Murder in Black & White – Making a Difference
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JACKSON, Tenn. – Violence in Jackson has claimed eleven lives so far in 2011. All eleven victims are African-American. All ten of the known suspects are also African-American. Jackson police attribute a lot of the violence in the city to gangs, whose members are known to get “status” through acts of violence. Growing up around violence does not mean you are destined for the same lifestyle. Dr. Keith Taylor, of Jackson, who is African-American, is testament to that. The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon grew up in the heart of inner city Indianapolis. “My neighborhood was a Gangster Disciples neighborhood,” he recalled. Dr. Taylor, however, steer cleared of the streets. He believes his own decisions and will power played a big role in his path but so did his parents. They fought the battles he could not. “My dad was really instrumental in my life,” he said. “He just wasn’t going to lose me.” Now, the Lane College graduate is fighting for young men in Jackson whose fathers are not. “We have to fight back as a community,” he insists. He also believes the fight starts with him. “A lot of kids aren’t going to listen to people of other races,” he said. “It’s up to black men to get out there in the community and say, ‘Hey, you don’t have to do this.'” It is not just time that Dr. Taylor is willing to give. Before the 2012-2013 school year, the husband and father of two young boys, silently purchased new uniforms for the Jackson Central-Merry High School football team. “When you have new equipment, when you’re looking just like the opponent, you feel better,” he said. “You have more confidence. You perform better.” The Cougars have. The team finished the regular season 5-5 and are headed to the playoffs. Last year, the team won just two games. It was extracurricular activities during the school year and during the summer that Dr. Taylor believes helped keep him from turning to the streets. He said his parents worked to keep him busy. Experts believe that principle can work for all children. “Studies show that children who are involved in at least four days of an after-school program, they are five times less likely to be involved in any kind of violent activity, any kind of gang activity,” states Lisa Peoples, Executive Director of Area Relief Ministries. Peoples started The HUB Club in 2007. HUB, which stands for “Helping Us Build,” is a neighborhood-based program that currently provides 32, first through tenth graders in the Hillcrest Circle neighborhood, free after-school activities and homework help four days a week. The program fills a vital need that is too often going unmet. The children, some as young as 9-years-old, instead are all too often turning to street gangs to fulfill their need for belonging and identity. It also boils down to dollars and cents, according to Peoples. The gangs promise a financial sense of security. “I think our young men are up against more than people realize,” she said. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found in 2011, 34 percent of African-Americans in Tennessee were living in poverty. Thirty-five percent of Hispanics were in the same category. But only 17 percent of the white population in the state were dealing with the same problem. Peoples believes socioeconomics, more than race, determine whether children turn to the streets early in life. “There’s obstacles that they may face that other people may not,” she said. “When they go to school do they come from a home that had electricity? Did they eat breakfast?” These are the issues Peoples says many young African-American children deal with in neighborhoods across Jackson. More jobs may be part of the solution for some families. But Peoples insists it is community involvement that will make the real difference for everyone. “Everybody can do something,” she encourages. “Volunteer at a mentoring program. Help a child learn how to read. Help a child with a math problem. Bring a bag of candy or snacks to your community center.” She encourages everyone who is able to just do something. For Dr. Taylor, it boils down to everyone in the city of every race taking a stand against violence. “It’s not just a black thing,” he said. “It might start over in east Jackson but if we don’t get the crime under control, it’s going to be coming to north Jackson as well.” However, it is not fear that he hopes is the greatest motivator. He believes hope itself and a belief in a better, safer city should be. “Start caring for your community,” he encourages. “Start getting involved.” Visit the Seen on 7 section of this website for ways to get involved.
