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 Let's Talk
Denise Rolark Barnes
Friday, October 8, 2004; Page 22
Back in the Day
It recently occurred to me how difficult it is for kids to have fun in D.C. Last weekend, my son asked me to take him to a party in Northeast in a neighborhood that greatly reflects my own in Southeast. That was the first red flag. I agreed, however, and we drove him to the party. It was like déjà vu, dozens of young ladies and young men stood on the porch, the front lawn, the sidewalk and up and down the block talking, laughing, smoking, cursing and doing what young folks trying to be grown do around each other. I decided to sit and observe the growing crowd – 20 more kids, all males, marched up the street toward “the party” and about 15 more disembarked from a Metro bus across the street. I had to ask myself, “Is this the only party in town?”
Thank God for me, my son decided not to stay because there were no girls inside, just a bunch of boys standing around. His fear was also my fear of what could happen with such a large, unsupervised group of kids on a Friday night in D.C.
The whole scene took me back to the ‘70s, “back in the day” when I was a teenager walking from one neighborhood to another with a group of friends headed to “the party.” It was fun in those days, probably like it is for the kids today, but we never feared a party breaking up over gunfire or the threat of being shot by a stray bullet by a drive-by shooter. True, there were fights and a bathroom visit might show evidence of a young heroin addict who left a bloody syringe on the bathroom sink. “Oh my God, what would the host’s parents think?’ But for us, the worst thing that could happen is leaving with your perfectly circular afro flattened to one side by the guy you slow dragged with. God forbid he dripped sweat down the side of your face. That was really the worst.
But then again, for us, there were options. There were movie theaters in almost every neighborhood with double features for the price of one. Kalorama Skating Rink provided a pleasurable alternative to those crowded basements. And there were a few bowling alleys to hangout in if bowling was your thing. Plus, believe it or not, those after-school sock-hops were pretty fun when there wasn’t anything else to do, and some of the recreation centers were also open late for the guys or girls who love playing basketball.
Young people today don’t seem to have the options we had, which leave them vulnerable to the dangers of the streets if they just want to “hang out.” It’s as disappointing to a parent as it is too many young people who can’t find anything else to do but to hang out on street corners or wander through neighborhoods throughout the night. (Since this is not a curfew story, there’s no need to talk about the police department’s selective use of the curfew law, or parents who don’t enforce a household curfew. That’s for another space at another time. And anyway, most young people in the city are indoors, if not at home, after midnight and therefore are not causing problems on the streets.)
The question remains, “What is there for young people to do that’s sociable and fun between 8 p.m. and midnight on Friday or Saturday night?” Where can a parent agree to let their teenaged son or daughter go and feel reasonably sure that their child will have a good time and be safe? Why do the programs established by non-profit programs end at the close of the business day, sometimes later, but not on Friday or Saturday night? And why aren’t the church doors open in the evenings to offer a variety of organized games and Jesus to the young people living in the neighborhood?
True, not every young person would even take advantage of an activity made available to him or her if it were offered, but how wonderful it would be if that were our only concern. With more than 50 percent of D.C. children under the age of 18 residing East of the River, in Ward 8 specifically, means this is the community where recreational and social activities are needed most, although the need is city-wide. If for no other reason but to commemorate the young lives that have been lost in D.C. so far this year and to save the lives of those young people at-risk, community organizations, volunteers and parents must resurrect the times and share them with these young people that we enjoyed back in the day.
For Denise Rolark Barnes send email to drbarnes@washingtoninformer.com
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