Racial Inequality in Inner City Neighborhoods

The movie that I chose to watch was titled Boyz n the Hood, which was written and directed by John Singleton. This movie shows the issues of racial inequality, drugs, sex, and gang violence that is existing in Los Angeles at this time. The movies portrays the many social problems that are occurring in the inner city of Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. This time period was harsh on racial minorities because there was much struggle to be successful as a minority. There were much more pressures on inner city racial minorities then the typical white rich kid that becomes successful because they inherit their parents trust fund. Inner city minorities are below the poverty line which is a major barrier to success. Boyz n the Hood portrayed the life of three African American teens and the societal problems which halted their path to success. One of the kids named Tre Styles was a very intelligent young black student that had a hard time learning discipline, so his mother decided to make him move in with his father in South Central Los Angles in order for his father to teach him discipline and how to be a man. Tre is reunited with two of his childhood friends, Doughboy and Ricky. A few years after they started to hangout again, the three black males lead very different lives. Tre tries to focus on his academics and he is getting himself prepared to go to college. Ricky is a star football player at the same school as Tre. Doughboy, who is played by Ice Cube, has a hard time getting out of the hood lfie and he sees no successful future for himself. He is a crack dealing gangster that sees no opportunity to better his life and he actually did not care because he was comfortable with the life he was living. Tre has a hard time dealing with the social problems that are going on around him. He is somewhat torn between trying to be a successful person by living up to his father’s expectations and he feels a pull factor of peer pressure to join the gang culture that was going on around him and his friends.

 Ricky is murdered by rival gang members and the group of friends have a hard time coping with his loss. They decide to seek revenge so they grab a gun and hunt down the gang members who killed Ricky. While on the way there Tre realizes it’s a bad idea and decides to get out of the car. He remembers what his dad tells him about violence not being the answer to the question. Tre and Doughboy have come to the realization that the circumstances that exist in South Central Los Angeles lock them in a cycle of never ending violence.

Boyz n the Hood portrays the lives of inner city racial minorities and their struggle for success and equality. Middle class white neighborhoods are filled with stable income families that pay taxes and in return their towns give back by keeping up with renovations and building many public social areas. Racial minorities also pay taxes, but their impoverished neighborhoods are not funded properly. Growing up in these poor neighborhoods is a ticket to failure. People need to understand if these poor racial minority filled neighborhoods were better funded and their schools were better funded, this would give racial minority students more of an opportunity to become successful. The public can not overlook these neighborhoods because everyone should have equal opportunities. Everyone in America is said to be equal, does society really show this as being true? I would say no. Issues of race need to be erased in order for our country to be truly colorblind.

http://www.huduser.org/Periodicals/CITYSCPE/VOL3NUM3/article3.pdf

http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/racism