Contributing factors to Poverty

Monday, the NY Times published an article entitled "Prison and the Poverty Trap." A few highlights from this article include; "Among African-Americans who have grown up during the era of mass incarceration, one in four has had a parent locked up at some point during childhood" and "For black men in their 20s and early 30s without a high school diploma, the incarceration rate is so high — nearly 40 percent nationwide — that they’re more likely to be behind bars than to have a job." Wow. Those statistics are staggering.

We have addressed this issue of the disproportional prison rates among the racial lanes, but to see these numbers and how this greatly impacts not only the individual but their family and ultimately the community as a whole. This is truly an example of the cycle of poverty. Lets take a minute to look at our Nation's capital, our community, the District of Columbia. Nearly 20 percent of District residents live in poverty. Meaning 110,000 District families earn less than $22,314. Since the economic recession, many formerly middle class families have slipped into poverty. What happens when our community, our neighborhoods are so greatly impacted by poverty.

Neighborhoods are where we find many of the opportunities that shape our lives especially the most impressionable lives of young adults. Too often neighborhoods with high poverty are deficient in the opportunities that can increase positive social, economic and educational outcomes for their residents. These outcomes not only directly impact the people of those neighborhoods, but also the community as whole.

How can we help to end this cycle of poverty? How can we provide these positive influences to a neighborhood stricken by poverty and other social issues?


--Krystal