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AUGUST • 1 • 1 79
TH CITIZE
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At a recent ceremony in Atlanta, rs, Martin Luther King Jr. s p nted a chec
for S 1,000,000 to benefit the artin Luther King Center for Social Chang. akin th
pre ntation was Ron Warwick, vice president and general mana er of Amarlite Anacon­
da, acting for his parent company, Atlantic Richfield Co. R 0 Foundation . The grant
will be used to build Freedom Hall in the center, and interdenominational foundation
headed by Mrs. King and committed to fo tering non-violent social inter tion.
taking part in ceremony was J Hill Jr. board chairman of the center .
r
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By alter
Executive
United
L. Smart
Director
eighborhood
Center of me rica
The problem of juvelile
delinquency particularly at
the neighborhool level ha
been rising at an alarming
rate. The arrest of ju enile
under 18 for violent crime
have jumped 193 percent
in the past 1 ° years or so.
e also know that the
juvenile justice system has
a recidivism rate of over
80 percent.' According to
some studies, about
100 000 children a year
are loc ed up in jails hen
not even 60 percent
should b in detention
homes.
The average age of
juveniles being arrested for
roius crimes is becoming
lower and lower. The com­
bined weight of neighbor­
hood decay, joble ness
vandalism and contant pre­
ssure to pay bill which
e ceed income. and lack of
adequate rvice produce a
kind of community path­
ology again t which indiv­
idu lose hope of im­
proving their condition. The
day tp day issue of sur­
vivals loom so large that
the problems of youth,
u
ctric.
Residentail &. Conunercial iring
Supplies LIGHT FIX1URES I
BREAKER P ELS L-
OKE DETECTORS �.
WIRE H DTOOLS
132 Pipestone
Benton Harbor
927 -2611
while critically important,
are often overloo ed by
parents and other adults as
community resident react
to other problems
Gangs have become a
sanctuary for youth in
many barrio and ghetto.
uch of the treet crime
. an expression of bitter-
n and comtempt held
by youth for others in
society. Street crim has
spread to such an extent
that residents of many cities
and neighboring uburbs
will not vi 't the downto n
area after 6 p.m. A vi 'tor
to many cities may be
shoe ed to the down­
town area teeming ith
people before 5 p.m. and
suddenly de oid af all but a
fe peop e after 6 p.m.
Crime and the fear of crime
are causing our citizen to
develop wholly
different lifestyl with
rious detrimental impact
on major retail busin
within .the core of the
city.
In vie of the alarming
condition regarding juv­
nile delinquency it is every­
one's business to e amine
their own life tyle. dult
are not providing dequate
upport sy terns for youth
in th home, There ouJd
P rms
•
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Blow ou
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be given greater n
of identity and if worth.
The condition regard­
ing juvenile delinquen y e
intolerable and cry out for
dership, A
ready given tro
ship to a nassi e deu tlon­
ship to a rna ive education­
al effort in conjunction
with other national youth
rving agencies to create
a concerned citizenry.
People at the neighborhool
level should e out enc­
ie such ttlernent and
neighborhood centers and
other youth rving encie
should be able to provide
a tructure through hich
neighborhood youths and
devise ay and me of
assumin responsible ro
in the lution of prob 0lS.
If you are a con emed
citizen you shold contact
other citizens to discus
this problem. You ouId
can tact a ttlement or a
youth rving agency. Offer
your help you. Don't aut
your help you. Don't ait
for other peop to help.
you. Don't ait for
in ton to Iv your pro-
blem. The neighborhood i
yours you old e the
intiative.