“Although the U.S. Justice Department under President Obama has investigated and pushed reforms of police departments in nearly two dozen cities, those reforms have been rolled back by the Trump administration” (Goodman, 2018, p.40).

From the launch of the War on Drugs during Nixon’s presidency, which was greatly expanded during Reagan’s and Clinton’s, has played a role in the deterioration of the conditions in inner-city communities. In seeming attempts to lower crime rates and weaken the drug economy, the reflection of the outcome points more towards families becoming disconnected from their homes and schools and/or incarcerated. Many may become involved in the underground drug economy in order to make easy money as a means of survival. On the surface of course we could all say “well, it’s illegal, they just shouldn’t do it… it’s not our fault that they do”. But really though, who’s “fault” is it? The gaps of inequality stretch across various topics that have gone on and shaped the society we live in today. Throughout the entire history of this country, those of an apparently different race/ origin have generally had to fight 4 (or more) times harder than those who weren’t seen as ‘minorities’ or inferior. As a major force and influence behind it all, just take a look at the housing conditions many families who receive government housing find themselves in. Since when is providing rat and roach infested homes with no heat or hot water, mold, homes that leak carbon monoxide even considerable? The housing market alone in all of its corruption has systematically pushed those of lower classes and different races further into poverty and unhealthy environments, which has also done nothing less than perpetuate previously existing stigmas upon these groups that also aids in keeping them from better opportunities. Where and how are they supposed to get out of this limbo of segregation? We’ve all seen the statistics, and although it’s important to be critical of them, why is this still allowed to be a problem? We could revert to the FHA’s influence in the housing market that (if I recall correctly) stems from the 1930’s (by starting out just from here I am leaving out a chunk of history that has to do with this systematic injustice), as an adequate example of a “reinforcing spiral of decline for poor urban communities of color” (Goodman,2018 CH 1/2). Rather than focusing on just the macro views of the neighborhoods that make up this city, we should equally evolve a more critical view of the macro, as well as the micro view, which takes into consideration the realities that each student/ person may be facing outside of school. Practicing transient teaching keeps in mind the impacts that these injustices may have on our students and those that surround them, and allows for them to feel human and with an opportunity to connect, communicate and share their stories. We should guide them to question what they hear and what they see, and trust in who they are. It takes more work than can be mentioned, but as educators ourselves- one key thing that ties in with the aforementioned information (or rant, if you will) is that we are not to be part of this ‘rabbit-hole’ of a system. If we allow for students to share their stories and open up,it’ll open up a space for more greatness that perhaps they didn’t even know they were capable of.