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Bringing back pride

One problem these communities face could be a lack of pride in their community. Effort to bring back pride in these communities, through various initiatives, could have positive results. Initially, outside help will be required. Projects to invigorate these communities so that they have pride in the places where they live could prove fruitful.  If cities bring exciting people to these oppressed places by busing them there, then outside forces that have hope can bring a transfusion of hope to these places.  Because the people who live there only have turned their focus inward just to survive, they often will not have the ability to see that small efforts to unify their communities will have a large impact.  So, external people will need to come to these places in large groups to show them that there is hope and that others care.  They will see that it is not me (my family versus the world).  People could come by bus for the following group activities: pick up litter day, sweep the sidewalks day, plant flowers day, fix-it day.  (Fix-it day would be a day where people perform simple handyman chores to fix broken things.) Music day, Art day (bring a canvas-teach a child to paint, or adult) This would be a community building activity.  Fix your car day.  This would be a day where people, who have skills come to help people fix their cars by showing them how to do it on their own, sort of a teaching day.  Small business day. Successful business people teach others how to open and run a business.  We have something like that in my town.

If we can give these people a sense of ownership in their communities, not just in their immediate families and friends, then they will begin to have pride in their communities.  Once they have pride, then they may also want to help their communities.  

Side note: there is a book that people should read that relates to this.  It is titled "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" by Jane Jacobs, Jason Epstein

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