Scene assignment: Entering the hood

On a sweltering July afternoon nearby Dudley Square in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, I was instinctively out of my element upon entering an area packed with graffiti murals, dilapidating buildings and squad cars. My presence was something of a wonderment to the throngs of African Americans surrounding me. My fair complexion made me stand out like a florescent billboard in the middle of Times Square in an area locals dub by “The Hood.” I was on assignment in the neighborhood to find-out more about a local non-profit organization. As I took-out my camera, many became more skeptical of my presence, as if I was cop trying to report people for their daily interactions. Then a kind man pulled me aside and suggested I put away my camera for my own safety. This made me question if pursuing my project further was worthwhile.

My Toughest Assignment (Final Version)

A journey I’ll never relive

In the Summer of 2011 my Broadcast Journalism professor, assigned each student to profile a person running a grassroots organization in the Boston community. After reaching out to a few people, I was connected with Jon Feinman’s organization, InnerCity Weightlifting. Since its inception in 2010, the program has reached out to male youth who are vulnerable to gang violence and those already involved in the city’s poorest neighborhoods, specifically areas in South Boston including Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury.

Jon and his team mentor young men. They boost their confidence through weightlifting, plus he inspires them to live productively by helping them secure jobs as trainers or other in sectors and assists them to complete high school.

Growing up in Toronto and living in Mid-Town in Manhattan for a few years, I thought I was familiar with the multicultural nature of the urban melting pot. And I didn’t think twice about pursuing this assignment. But, as I was preparing to embark on what would be the toughest assignment of my life, Jon strictly informed me, “avoid wearing any red or blue garments since those colors are associated with gang violence. And don’t wear any jewelry to avoid getting raped or robbed. And… umm… no nice purses.”

This struck a few chords and made me extremely apprehensive to meet him, along with the fellow gang members in Roxbury. A quick Google search of the area yielded a gamut of profiles of people wanted for murder and notices about shootings that occurred in the area hours prior to my internet search. But I had no choice except to move forward to avoid failing the assignment.

So I reluctantly began swapping my Louboutin's and Gucci purse- for flip flops and a canvas grocery bag to downplay my appearance.  With my expensive SLR camera in tow and tripod for filming, I was shaking as I jumped on the T for a journey from Harvard Station to Roxbury Crossing. During this ride, which felt like an eternity –my mind was constantly contemplating, would I survive this? What if I got seriously injured? Would I ever walk or talk again? Would I get raped or kidnapped?

Upon exiting Roxbury Crossing Station, my head failed to push these mortifying thoughts aside. Despite my effort to feel calm as possible, my heart was beating rapidly that it was protruding from my chest, as if I was running away from a bullet fired in my path.

Upon arriving at the gym, Jon and the two men helping me with my assignment relieved my worst fears by greeting me with kindness, as I was capturing footage of the men lifting weights in gym and asking them interview questions. To my surprise, everything ran smoothly!

However, this interview did not prepare me for the events in store that evening.

In addition to the interview, I had to snap pictures of the neighborhood and incorporate them into my footage.

Upon exiting the gym, I took a brief stroll and ended up in “The Hood”, or gang territory, surrounded by abandoned and dilapidating architecture with hoards of dwindling companies, panhandlers and prostitutes. Clutching my fancy camera in one hand and canvas bag full of miscellaneous objects in the other, I was approached by a cohort of African-American men, all of them were astonished by my presence. And they were petrified by my presence. Some of them suspected I was a cop, my presence in Roxbury was something of a wonderment to everyone in the area.

Despite my youthful and dressed down appearance, one of the men who went by the alias “Big G”, asked me if “I was a cop?”

Never being asked that question before, I reluctantly said, “No. I’m just a student filming and taking pictures for my project”

Big G and his buddies gave me an awkward stare, they seemed to be high on drugs with their blaring blood shot eyes, some of them even seemed to be on another planet. It’s as if I was taking pictures to get them incarcerated for pre-existing warrants issued for an arrest.

Given Roxbury’s notoriety for gang violence, combined with the area’s staggering crime rate, a concerned Asian gentleman snatched me aside and instructed me to “put away my camera, it’s not a safe area, and I might get in trouble for accidently filming a drug deal.”

I hesitantly replied, “I’m only a Harvard student. I’m here for an assignment to take pictures and then I’m leaving.” I explained I’m not a cop, nor have negative intentions. And then I completely brushed off his advice, as if it went in one ear and out the other.

But I continued strolling, cautiously and photographing the area. Altogether I snapped a collection of images of graffiti, decaying architecture, a few men getting arrested, many panhandlers with missing teeth and tons of street brawls. But my experience wouldn’t have been complete without capturing Big G and his boys.    Despite my terrifying thoughts of losing my life, I timidly approached these men with my Harvard ID and adorable charm to prove I was not a cop and I was only out on assignment. In spite of my reluctance, Big G and his homies were all like brothers from another mother. They seemed to be life long buddies with their own set of jargon.

Surprisingly, they watched out for me and many of them kindly agreed to let me take their picture. They even honored me for my courage to “go down to the hood and take pictures.” And told my professor, “I need to get an A-plus,” as I filmed footage for my assignment. Despite confronting my fears, warnings and masked nerves, I successfully accomplished my mission.

Surprisingly, my adventure to Roxbury was an incredible firsthand experience of inequality in America, which I’ll never relive. Upon returning to Cambridge and sharing my video footage, I rendered my friends and professor speechless since many said they’d never go to “ The Hood”.

When I sent the footage to my parents, my mom said, “she would have phoned the police if I informed her about this assignment beforehand.”

Although overcoming thoughts of losing my life made this the toughest assignment, I was perplexed to acknowledge the vast amount of people living in urban America— lacking knowledge of the current extremes of racial isolation that were matters of grave national significance nearly sixty years ago. Despite widespread integration movements and human rights campaigns to promote and reinforce equality and diversity, efforts to halt racial segregation have seemingly reversed in more recent years. From Skid Row to the South Bronx, urban areas that were already deeply segregated 5 or 6 decades ago are no less marginalized presently.

P.S. See video in prior post...

My toughest assignment on camera

After a recent conversation, I reminisced on my toughest assignment. Swapping my Louboutin's and Gucci purse- for flip flops and canvas grocery bag --to solely travel to Roxbury (the Hood of Boston) for a class project at Harvard; filled me with tons of fears and unreal emotions! It was truly an incredible and unforgettable firsthand experience, which I'll never relive! (note: this is entirely unscripted. I'm not the greatest with a video camera). xo!