‘It’s breaking them’: Amid guns and poverty, Black teens often wind up in survival mode
“’Kids that are in poverty, they feel like there ain’t nobody there for them, so they’re not going to try to get help. They’re going to get help another way,’ said 19-year-old Jordan, whose name has been changed for his safety.
‘Poverty is either going to make you or break you,’ he added. ‘The young generation now, it’s not making them, it’s breaking them. That’s why they’re breaking into cars, toting firearms and selling dope. It’s breaking them.’
There’s no money for dinner, let alone to do things like go to Fun Station, the mall or play sports. It’s why Cascades Park has become a hotspot for teens and sometimes trouble. It’s one of the few well-lit and welcoming parks where people can go and hang out.”