What the hood represents in America is a manifestation of a place of everything anti-American dream. Everything is ugly about America,, from baby mothers to drug addicts to drug dealers to gang members to the most violent criminals. It is the bread and butter of what people are scared of but it is also the heart of America.
The hood was bred from a multitude of factors, the biggest ones I think anyone could guess would be slavery and segregation. After Jim Crow laws were abolished black people were flooded to urban areas to find opportunities for work and where crime was more prevalent due to lack of the ability to find jobs. If 17-year-old Elijah can’t help support his single mother who works 2 jobs his only option is to turn to illegal ways of producing money. Patterns are created and passed down through generations. For the middle class to take place and flourish it must be bottom feeders to do all the extra labor, that is what the hood is.
For black people who are not used to being in the hood or having proximity to it, oftentimes like the other “hood people’ as if they are an entirely different person in general. People from the hood are dehumanized and seen as a mockery or a character oftentimes by the media. The structure of America was created as an extension of colonization and slavery.
The Beauty of the Hood
The beauty of the hood lies in the resilience of the culture and what it has contributed to America. Beyond the stereotypes it may have been given it is the place where music, art and fashion have thrived and have even penetrated white suburbanism. Corner stores, basketball courts and barbershops serve as a gathering point where the beauty of our culture is passed around and the authenticity thrives.
