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I am writing in response to the article by Jack Clark, “On the Streets Where I Lived” [January 15]. While I found the article to be insightful regarding how white people lived in the Austin community prior to 1968, I took exception to how the black people who moved in were perceived by the author. It paints them all as criminal. A woman is nearly raped by one of the new residents. A young black boy steals a dog. These types of occurrences can happen in any neighborhood. When Clark wonders what became of the little boy and writes him off by saying, “he would have needed plenty of luck, growing up out here,” it’s just plain bias, racism, and prejudice, pure and simple.
Clark implies that to grow up successfully in Austin takes a lot of luck. Luck has nothing to do with it. My siblings and I made it because we had a solid upbringing. We had a stable family life because my mother and father were committed to each other and to us, their children. They taught us by example by leading a clean lifestyle. They instilled in us the importance of an education and the work ethic. They always told us to maintain high moral and social standards. They also told us to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. My father stood up for what he believed in. He spearheaded a movement that kept Michelle Clark School from being built on our block, which would have resulted in our building and other homes being demolished.
