[Music] [Applause]
neighborhoods define our character they
neighborhoods define our character they set the course while understanding of
set the course while understanding of
set the course while understanding of the world around us they help determine
the world around us they help determine
the world around us they help determine how you treat me and how I treat you
how you treat me and how I treat you
how you treat me and how I treat you they predict our longevity and in some
they predict our longevity and in some
they predict our longevity and in some cases may even expedite our mortality if
cases may even expedite our mortality if
cases may even expedite our mortality if this is true there is a crisis in the
this is true there is a crisis in the
this is true there is a crisis in the urban core urban neighborhoods are
urban core urban neighborhoods are
urban core urban neighborhoods are rapidly disappearing and along with them
rapidly disappearing and along with them
rapidly disappearing and along with them those neighborhood cultural norms that
those neighborhood cultural norms that
those neighborhood cultural norms that help to define us there’s a virus in
help to define us there’s a virus in
help to define us there’s a virus in urban America bulldozers bulldozers and
urban America bulldozers bulldozers and
urban America bulldozers bulldozers and cranes have a language of their own and
cranes have a language of their own and
cranes have a language of their own and amazingly we comprehend their messages
amazingly we comprehend their messages
amazingly we comprehend their messages without having ever taking a class in
without having ever taking a class in
without having ever taking a class in the subliminal languages of bulldozers
the subliminal languages of bulldozers
the subliminal languages of bulldozers and cranes will we see cranes they
and cranes will we see cranes they
and cranes will we see cranes they represent progress excitement they
represent progress excitement they
represent progress excitement they invite us to stay and watch bulldozers
invite us to stay and watch bulldozers
invite us to stay and watch bulldozers on the other hand have a much different
on the other hand have a much different
on the other hand have a much different effect they indicate danger I’m tearing
effect they indicate danger I’m tearing
effect they indicate danger I’m tearing down the old the useless the familiar
down the old the useless the familiar
down the old the useless the familiar step back before you get hurt I noticed
step back before you get hurt I noticed
step back before you get hurt I noticed something about my neighborhood there
something about my neighborhood there
something about my neighborhood there were plenty of cranes bulldozers weather
were plenty of cranes bulldozers weather
were plenty of cranes bulldozers weather but very very few cranes while running
but very very few cranes while running
but very very few cranes while running away from my hometown is searching for
away from my hometown is searching for
away from my hometown is searching for that golden city on a hill you know the
that golden city on a hill you know the
that golden city on a hill you know the one with an abundance of job
one with an abundance of job
one with an abundance of job opportunities great neighborhoods and
opportunities great neighborhoods and
opportunities great neighborhoods and hundreds of places as being your heart
hundreds of places as being your heart
hundreds of places as being your heart or money it dawned on me after I left
or money it dawned on me after I left
or money it dawned on me after I left how much I’ve racked about the city of
how much I’ve racked about the city of
how much I’ve racked about the city of one’s call home how a Sunday after
one’s call home how a Sunday after
one’s call home how a Sunday after church girl she stopped was often an
church girl she stopped was often an
church girl she stopped was often an awkward
awkward
awkward to chat with music legends and athletes
to chat with music legends and athletes
to chat with music legends and athletes and oscar-nominated actors while all
and oscar-nominated actors while all
and oscar-nominated actors while all this tangent of my hometown is better
this tangent of my hometown is better
this tangent of my hometown is better than yours with some other transplants
than yours with some other transplants
than yours with some other transplants someone asked if you hometown in such a
someone asked if you hometown in such a
someone asked if you hometown in such a great place why did you leave hmm I left
great place why did you leave hmm I left
great place why did you leave hmm I left because those places that once gave me
because those places that once gave me
because those places that once gave me so much joy no longer exists well after
so much joy no longer exists well after
so much joy no longer exists well after years of living in a city but not truly
years of living in a city but not truly
years of living in a city but not truly connected to it I made the decision to
connected to it I made the decision to
connected to it I made the decision to return home now I gotta be honest I
return home now I gotta be honest I
return home now I gotta be honest I would love to say that I came home to
would love to say that I came home to
would love to say that I came home to fight the system revitalize my community
fight the system revitalize my community
fight the system revitalize my community the truth is home is where babysitting
the truth is home is where babysitting
the truth is home is where babysitting is free
[Applause]
[Applause] hold for me at that time was dating
hold for me at that time was dating
hold for me at that time was dating westside a pedometer by minority
westside a pedometer by minority
westside a pedometer by minority community and although happy to be home
community and although happy to be home
community and although happy to be home I noticed something my gas tank need to
I noticed something my gas tank need to
I noticed something my gas tank need to refill him often and the mouths of my
refill him often and the mouths of my
refill him often and the mouths of my car when creasing faster than I or my
car when creasing faster than I or my
car when creasing faster than I or my insurance company ever expected why
insurance company ever expected why
insurance company ever expected why because every place I needed to go
because every place I needed to go
because every place I needed to go existed somewhere else imagine waking up
existed somewhere else imagine waking up
existed somewhere else imagine waking up every day in each day you have to leave
every day in each day you have to leave
every day in each day you have to leave familiar surroundings just a complete
familiar surroundings just a complete
familiar surroundings just a complete simple task hmm frustrated with the
simple task hmm frustrated with the
simple task hmm frustrated with the reality that I have become accustomed to
reality that I have become accustomed to
reality that I have become accustomed to driving 14 miles one way for dinner nine
driving 14 miles one way for dinner nine
driving 14 miles one way for dinner nine miles for a cup of coffee how we call my
miles for a cup of coffee how we call my
miles for a cup of coffee how we call my cultural exchanges as I patronized
cultural exchanges as I patronized
cultural exchanges as I patronized business establishments far away from
business establishments far away from
business establishments far away from our front door there’s the warm smell of
our front door there’s the warm smell of
our front door there’s the warm smell of high we welcome diversity or the
high we welcome diversity or the
high we welcome diversity or the frightened debster of please don’t come
frightened debster of please don’t come
frightened debster of please don’t come any closer to me because if you do I
any closer to me because if you do I
any closer to me because if you do I just piss on myself look then there’s
just piss on myself look then there’s
just piss on myself look then there’s annoying stuff constantly checking my
annoying stuff constantly checking my
annoying stuff constantly checking my speedometer on my hair lice making sure
speedometer on my hair lice making sure
speedometer on my hair lice making sure that everything is just right as i drive
that everything is just right as i drive
that everything is just right as i drive through those upscale neighborhoods it
through those upscale neighborhoods it
through those upscale neighborhoods it all becomes overwhelming how far would
all becomes overwhelming how far would
all becomes overwhelming how far would you drive for a cup of coffee after
you drive for a cup of coffee after
you drive for a cup of coffee after thinking about this particular situation
thinking about this particular situation
thinking about this particular situation and going through these processes I
and going through these processes I
and going through these processes I thought to myself how did our minority
thought to myself how did our minority
thought to myself how did our minority communities feel with hard workers who
communities feel with hard workers who
communities feel with hard workers who helped build the American dream become
helped build the American dream become
helped build the American dream become the backdrop of every major cities late
the backdrop of every major cities late
the backdrop of every major cities late night breaking news report how did these
night breaking news report how did these
night breaking news report how did these communities who have are in the minority
communities who have are in the minority
communities who have are in the minority middle class adopt titles such as
middle class adopt titles such as
middle class adopt titles such as dilapidated distress abandon although I
dilapidated distress abandon although I
dilapidated distress abandon although I speak of my personal experiences rest
speak of my personal experiences rest
speak of my personal experiences rest assured there’s a quote unquote ghetto
assured there’s a quote unquote ghetto
assured there’s a quote unquote ghetto neighborhood near
neighborhood near
neighborhood near you as well these communities these
you as well these communities these
you as well these communities these communities epitomize the term that we
communities epitomize the term that we
communities epitomize the term that we try so hard to adhere to in America
try so hard to adhere to in America
try so hard to adhere to in America diversity they’re black brown yellow red
diversity they’re black brown yellow red
diversity they’re black brown yellow red and white yet the titles that are
and white yet the titles that are
and white yet the titles that are attached to them mass a great potential
attached to them mass a great potential
attached to them mass a great potential that exists within their boundaries like
that exists within their boundaries like
that exists within their boundaries like an antibiotic destroying the bad and the
an antibiotic destroying the bad and the
an antibiotic destroying the bad and the good bulldozers have destroyed the
good bulldozers have destroyed the
good bulldozers have destroyed the fruits of hard work the dream of the
fruits of hard work the dream of the
fruits of hard work the dream of the great migration in the whole of
great migration in the whole of
great migration in the whole of homeownership these communities confuse
homeownership these communities confuse
homeownership these communities confuse a child who has to travel past dozens of
a child who has to travel past dozens of
a child who has to travel past dozens of abandoned homes just to get to his or
abandoned homes just to get to his or
abandoned homes just to get to his or her front porch now we talk about
her front porch now we talk about
her front porch now we talk about preparing our children for global
preparing our children for global
preparing our children for global society how do we prepare our children
society how do we prepare our children
society how do we prepare our children for a global world with no neighbors to
for a global world with no neighbors to
for a global world with no neighbors to the left and no neighbors to the right
the left and no neighbors to the right
the left and no neighbors to the right how does that Chow form a perspective of
how does that Chow form a perspective of
how does that Chow form a perspective of community Dain is a city with 65
community Dain is a city with 65
community Dain is a city with 65 neighborhoods and we pride ourselves
neighborhoods and we pride ourselves
neighborhoods and we pride ourselves with the title city of neighbors but
with the title city of neighbors but
with the title city of neighbors but there’s a caveat according to an
there’s a caveat according to an
there’s a caveat according to an opportunity mapping study published by
opportunity mapping study published by
opportunity mapping study published by County health officials 31 of Dayton 65
County health officials 31 of Dayton 65
County health officials 31 of Dayton 65 neighborhoods are categorized as lacking
neighborhoods are categorized as lacking
neighborhoods are categorized as lacking opportunity like an opportunity in
opportunity like an opportunity in
opportunity like an opportunity in healthcare housing employment access
healthcare housing employment access
healthcare housing employment access education and the list goes on and on on
education and the list goes on and on on
education and the list goes on and on on and on amazingly how do we call
and on amazingly how do we call
and on amazingly how do we call ourselves a city of no no no scratch
ourselves a city of no no no scratch
ourselves a city of no no no scratch that how do we call ourselves a nation
that how do we call ourselves a nation
that how do we call ourselves a nation of neighbors we’re almost half of our
of neighbors we’re almost half of our
of neighbors we’re almost half of our communities are categorized as unlivable
communities are categorized as unlivable
communities are categorized as unlivable I cannot tell you that there’s one
I cannot tell you that there’s one
I cannot tell you that there’s one prescription that will fit or fix every
prescription that will fit or fix every
prescription that will fit or fix every urban community the suffers from Phil
urban community the suffers from Phil
urban community the suffers from Phil economic policies lack of political
economic policies lack of political
economic policies lack of political leadership resident hopeless
leadership resident hopeless
leadership resident hopeless insincere disinterest and revitalize in
insincere disinterest and revitalize in
insincere disinterest and revitalize in selection neighborhoods but I can’t tell
selection neighborhoods but I can’t tell
selection neighborhoods but I can’t tell you gentrification is not the answer
frustrated with this reality myself and
frustrated with this reality myself and two friends got together and thought
two friends got together and thought
two friends got together and thought about what could we do to help improve
about what could we do to help improve
about what could we do to help improve our community after endless hours of
our community after endless hours of
our community after endless hours of conversations tons and tons of research
conversations tons and tons of research
conversations tons and tons of research and 200 residential members later we
and 200 residential members later we
and 200 residential members later we formed the advocacy organization now
formed the advocacy organization now
formed the advocacy organization now with this organization we put together
with this organization we put together
with this organization we put together several initiatives such as an
several initiatives such as an
several initiatives such as an aggressive demolition implementation
aggressive demolition implementation
aggressive demolition implementation policy where we build up as well as we
policy where we build up as well as we
policy where we build up as well as we tear down get vacant land properties out
tear down get vacant land properties out
tear down get vacant land properties out of the hand of convicted code violators
of the hand of convicted code violators
of the hand of convicted code violators into the hands of responsible property
into the hands of responsible property
into the hands of responsible property owners invested community land banks
owners invested community land banks
owners invested community land banks monitor and enforce corrective actions
monitor and enforce corrective actions
monitor and enforce corrective actions against those banking institutions who
against those banking institutions who
against those banking institutions who practice redlining in distressed
practice redlining in distressed
practice redlining in distressed communities banks should invest where
communities banks should invest where
communities banks should invest where their members live
city and elected leaders are stewards of
city and elected leaders are stewards of the public’s trust in position to help
the public’s trust in position to help
the public’s trust in position to help all citizens the continuation of
all citizens the continuation of
all citizens the continuation of lopsided development and declining their
lopsided development and declining their
lopsided development and declining their urban neighborhoods must stop our
urban neighborhoods must stop our
urban neighborhoods must stop our decline in neighborhoods or a homeland
decline in neighborhoods or a homeland
decline in neighborhoods or a homeland security nightmare whether it be the
security nightmare whether it be the
security nightmare whether it be the next protest or the next tears shed from
next protest or the next tears shed from
next protest or the next tears shed from a president I neighborhoods help to keep
a president I neighborhoods help to keep
a president I neighborhoods help to keep us safe and secure let’s get back to
us safe and secure let’s get back to
us safe and secure let’s get back to what makes us strong it’s get this right
what makes us strong it’s get this right
what makes us strong it’s get this right it’s our neighborhoods
you
you [Music]
”
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