Neighborhood Briefing Document
Transcription
Neighborhood Briefing Document
YO U T H V I O L E N CE S Y S T E M S P ROJE CT Neighborhood Briefing Document •S outh End & Low er Rox bury• A p a r t n e r s h i p o f : Emmanuel Gospel Center • Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston • Boston TenPoint Coalition High Risk Youth Network • United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley PARTNERS STEERING COMMITTEE Emmanuel Gospel Center Khary Bridgewater (Project Manager) Director, Applied Evaluation Systems (the consulting enterprise of Emmanuel Gospel Center) Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston Boston TenPoint Coalition Jeff Bass (Project Support) Executive Director, Emmanuel Gospel Center High Risk Youth Network Paul Bothwell (Community Liaison) Director, Boston Urban Academy United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley Rema Cheng (Project Support) Senior Associate, Applied Evaluation Systems Project Advisors Tamecia Jones (Researcher) Research Writer, neXus Boston Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith Associate Dean and Professor, Harvard School of Public Health Jin Min Lee (Project Support) Business Manager, Applied Evaluation Systems Rev. Jeffrey Brown Executive Director, Boston TenPoint Coalition Grace Lee (Project Support) Consultant, Applied Evaluation Systems Rev. Ray Hammond Chairman, Boston TenPoint Coalition Laura Mitchell (Project Support) Project Coordinator, Youth Violence Systems Project Rudy Mitchell (Researcher) Senior Researcher, Emmanuel Gospel Center Dean Borgman Youth Work Professor, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Steve Peterson (Model Designer) System Dynamics Consultant Talia Rivera (Community Liaison) Coordinator, Boston High Risk Youth Network Contact c/o Emmanuel Gospel Center 2 San Juan Street PO Box 180245 Boston, MA 02118 Khary Bridgewater Project Manager [email protected] The South End & Lower Roxubry Neighborhood Briefing Document was prepared by Rudy Mitchell and Theresa Musante Copyright © 2009 Youth Violence Systems Project. All rights reserved. w w w.gettingtotheroots.org Neighborhood Briefing Document •S outh End & Low er Rox bury• The Youth Violence Systems Project is a two-year project that will develop a system dynamics model of youth violence in Boston. This computer model will help community, academic, political, and institutional stakeholders develop more effective strategies to reduce youth violence. By increasing our understanding of the systems dynamics of youth violence in Boston, including plausible outcomes for different actions taken, we will have stronger communication, agreement and cooperation around a community-wide response to youth violence in Boston, which will result in a safer, healthier city for everyone. History 1 Boundaries 8 Overall Population Trends 12 Racial and Ethnic Trends 14 Age Characteristics of the Population 16 Family Structure 18 Economics and Income 20 Housing 21 Churches 23 Schools and Education 31 Community Organizations and Social Service Agencies 35 Public Safety and Crime 48 Community Newspapers and Media 51 Bibliography 52 Credits 54 . History o f the S outh E nd & Lo w er Rox bury A rea T he area known today as the South End was originally a smaller neck of land along Washington Street, widening from its narrowest point at today’s Berkeley Street to its widest at the Roxbury line near today’s Hammond Street. Although there were a few scattered houses and taverns in the early 1800s, most of the area was not developed until after 1840. During the next 30 years, filling the bays created most of the present land, and brick bowfront houses were built throughout the area, followed by a variety of major institutions and factories. By 1885 parts of the South End were becoming rooming house and tenement districts which filled with working class lodgers and successive waves of immigrants. Over the next century the area had a rich diversity of people and activities, but its buildings and reputation suffered an increasing decline. From the 1950s through the 1970s the community became the largest urban renewal area in the nation, with accompanying community South End street with bowfront houses organizing, protests, and conflict. In recent years, beginning in the late 1960s, many parts of the area experienced gentrification as rooming houses and apartments were converted to condos and major new market rate housing developments were built. This period has also been characterized by an increased emphasis on the arts, the proliferation of restaurants and cafes, the growth of Boston Medical Center and the expansion of Northeastern University into the area. Until 1786 the only way into Boston by land was on Washington Street over the narrow neck of land in the South End. From the early years, the city had a guard post, gate, and fortifications at the narrowest point near present day Berkeley Street. When the British occupied Boston during the Revolutionary War, about 600 of their soldiers were sent over to the Neck in the fall of 1774 to cut a channel to let the water through and strengthen the old fortifications near this part of the neck. The British also built larger and stronger, advanced fortifications closer to the present Cathedral and Blackstone School. They used Deacon Brown’s house located near today’s Newton Street and Blackstone Square as a guard house. His store was also used by the British. The American troops later dug entrenchments near the Roxbury line close to the present day Ramsay Park and used the George Tavern as an advanced outpost. The advanced fortifications on each side were within musket range of each other. General George Washington wrote of the American troops at lower Roxbury, “Our people have intrenched across the outer end [of the neck] and are strongly fortified there.” Thus parts of present day South End and Lower Roxbury were the sites of strategic positions and numerous skirmishes between the American and British forces during 1775-1776. Although no major battle took place there, the area definitely had the atmosphere of a war William Wheildon, Siege and Evacuation of Boston and Charlestown (Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1876), 11. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page zone with the British shooting cannons daily at the American lines and the houses in range in Roxbury, and both sides engaging in numerous skirmishes. On June 24 a party of American troops tried to burn Brown’s house down, but they were discovered early and two were killed. They brought a field piece up and shot a cannon ball through the house driving the British guards out, but were unsuccessful in burning the house. There was a strong skirmish with firing from both sides continuing for some time. The following day another attempt was also unsuccessful, although Roxbury and South End with troop placements the British lost several men in the skirmishing that continued throughout the day. One American was wounded. On the 26th a group of British soldiers advanced at daybreak and fired at the American sentinels at George’s tavern. When more American guards showed up, a sharp exchange of musket fire took place, and the British retreated. A few days later flaming bombshell from the British set Mr. William’s house on fire. “But the daring activity of the troops, working in the face of constant fire from the enemy, prevented the flames from spreading.” On July 5 General Washington came over to Roxbury to visit and survey the situation. At 10 o’clock at night on July 7, six American soldiers advanced secretly to positions behind Brown’s house. Meanwhile other volunteers under the leadership of Major Tupper and Captain Crane advanced quietly to positions in the marshes on either side of the Neck. “Two brass field pieces were drawn quietly across the marsh to within 300 yards of the house. On a signal from the advance party, two rounds of shot were fired into the house” at about 2 a.m. The British guards in Brown’s house hastily retreated to the safety of their lines. The six advance men then set fire to the house and another building. In the process, six muskets were captured. Scattered shots from the British outpost were heard for some time, but the attacking party was able to return without loss. On July 11 the Americans attacked again, driving the British guards back and burning Brown’s store. It had been the only house left standing on the neck beyond the British fortifications. Shortly after that about 200 men worked under fire throwing up some breastwork defenses in front of the George Tavern. “Three bombs burst near our men, without injuring any of them.” About 500 British troops marched out on Sunday, July 30 and built a low breastwork to protect themselves. The American troops were at high alert. Later the British sent a floating battery up the Charles River and shot at the American defenses. The Redcoats then attacked the American sentinels on the advanced lines, driving them back, and burning the George Tavern in revenge. However, the British did not venture further, but returned to their own lines. Richard Frothingham, A History of the Siege of Boston, 6th edition (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1903), 213. Ibid., 216. Ibid., 224. Wheildon, 18. Frothingham, 224. The George Tavern near the Roxbury line on Washington Street dated back to 1707 at least. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page These events illustrate the type of hostilities taking place in the South End and Lower Roxbury during the Revolutionary War. The American Army consisted of three divisions, with one division placed in the Roxbury highlands and Lower Roxbury. The division, which consisted of two brigades of six regiments each, was commanded by General Artemas Ward and General John Thomas. After the Revolutionary War (1787-88) the state authorized a mint to be built in the South End to produce copper, silver, and gold coins. However, this mint only operated for a short time. After the war only a few businesses were built along the Neck, and by 1794 there were still only 18 buildings between the narrowest point of the neck and the Roxbury line. In 1801, Charles Bulfinch, Chairman of Boston’s Board of Selectman, presented a plan for laying out streets in the South End and a large circular park called Columbia Square (which was renamed Blackstone and Franklin Squares in 1849). The city’s involvement in developing the area in the next fifty years was an early example of urban planning. The city placed restrictions on height, width, and setback of buildings to create a uniform and harmonious blend of streets and buildings. Later the architect, Nathan J. Bradlee, gave more specific architectural unity to the streets of the South End with his building designs. Although it never attracted large numbers of the wealthiest Bostonians, the South End did attract young couples, solid businessmen, and many skilled craftsmen. The area also attracted a number of substantial institutions including Boston City Hospital, Boston College, the Boston Latin and English High School (largest public school building in the world), the St. James Hotel, and many major churches. The hospital opened in 1864, and Boston College was located in the South End nearby from 1863 to 1913. In its early years, the St. James Hotel10 hosted President Ulysses S. Grant. In 1882 the building was sold to the New England Conservatory of Music, which served 3,000 students annually and was called the largest and best appointed musical institute in the world. When the Boston Latin and English High School building on Warren Avenue was completed in 1880, it was the largest structure in the world used as a free public school.11 The Girls High School on West Newton Street, built in 1870, served 800 young women and trained many of Boston’s school teachers. In September 1872, Alexander Graham Bell came to live at 35 Boston Landmarks Commission, The South End: District Study Committee Report (Boston: Boston Lanmarks Commission, 1983), 7. Walter Muir Whitehill, Boston: A Topographical History, 2nd edition (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, Belknap Press, 1968), 135-136. 10 In recent years the building has served as housing for the elderly and as the supposed St. Eligius Hospital on the T.V. series, St. Elsewhere. 11 Moses King, editor, King’s Handbook of Boston, 7th edition. (Cambridge, Mass.: Moses King Publisher, 1885), 152. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page West Newton Street where he opened “an establishment for the study of vocal physiology, for the correction of defects of utterance and for practical instruction in ‘Visible Speech.’”12 In 1877 the famous Christian leader, Dwight L. Moody, held an evangelistic campaign in the South End, drawing crowds as large as 6,000-7,000 people three times a day for three months. Also drawing large crowds was the Cyclorama, built in 1884 to house the 400 foot circular mural of the Battle of Gettysburg. From the 1871 to 1914, professional baseball was also played in the South End/Lower Roxbury area at the impressive South End Grounds13 with its double decker grandstands and tall twin towers. When the baseball stadium burned on May 15, 1894, the fire spread to consume 177 other Lower Roxbury buildings. With its growing population, the neighborhood also developed other forms of entertainment, from theater to boxing and bicycle racing. The neighborhood was initially developed hoping to attract upper class families. However, when the Back Bay neighborhood was built, it became the more popular area for the wealthy. Due to a financial depression in 1873 and other factors, the South End began to lose its attractiveness and declined somewhat. From the 1880s on, many buildings were turned into rooming houses. Areas surrounding Dover Street (now Berkeley Street) and Columbus Avenue changed more fully, while some other areas declined less. By the turn of the century, many new immigrants had settled in the South End, and a number of settlement houses sprang up to serve their soUnion Park, one of the South End’s English cial needs. In addition style oval parks dating to 1851 to the Irish and Nova Scotians, there were Syrians, Greeks, Armenians, Lebanese, and Eastern Europeans. Some Jewish immigrants also settled in the South End. African Americans came to parts of the South End, especially from Virginia14 after the Civil War and in larger numbers in the 20th century. “By 1880 twothirds of all southern black adults lived in the five wards of the South End.”15 Some of these migrants from the South formed Ebenezer Baptist Church The Syrian Grocery— an old world style food store 12 From the original advertising card, Oct. 1, 1872. 13 Located between the present Ruggles train station and Carter Park. It was home to the Boston Bean Eaters, the Boston Braves, etc. and went by several names. 14 Elizabeth H. Pleck, Black Migration and Poverty: Boston 1865-1900 (New York: Academic Press, 1979), 45. 15 Elizabeth H. Pleck, Black Migration and Poverty: Boston 1865-1900 (New York: Academic Press, 1979), 77. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page under the leadership of Rev. Peter Randolph, who had led a group of freed slaves to Boston before the Civil War. West Indian immigrants settled in Lower Roxbury and the South End in the early years of the 20th century. They founded St. Cyprian’s Church in 1913, and it soon became their cultural, social, and spiritual center. By 1922 the church was able to attract 500 people and had a strong youth group providing leadership training, and had begun building its present building in Lower Roxbury.16 The South End became a port of entry for many immigrants, who filled the rooming houses, apartments, and the tenements. “Between the demise of the South End as a middle/uppermiddle class neighborhood in the 1870s and the post-war world of the 1950s, the South End was a vibrant, economically poor, but culturally rich, dynamic community.”17 In the 1940s there were “36 racial and ethnic culture groups” in the area.18 By the 1940s the South End had also become the home of many bars and rescue missions. It gained a reputation as a skid row, although that was just one dimension of a more complex reality. For example, the area around Massachusetts Avenue and Columbus Avenue became well known as a center of jazz clubs where famous jazz musicians played from the 1930s through the 1950s. Joseph L. “Wally” Walcott opened Wally’s Café in 1934, and it is still serving up jazz today. Other jazz clubs that have come and gone include the famous Hi Hat, the Savoy, Morley’s The Big M, the Pioneer Club, the Wigwam, Louie’s Lounge, and the Professional & Businessmen’s Club. Clubs like the Hi Hat attracted famous musicians like Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Sammy Davis, Jr., Count Basie, Charlie Parker, and Sonny Stitt. After late night sessions, musicians would stop by Charlie’s Sandwich Shop on Columbus Avenue for something to eat. The area’s tradition of jazz continues today with the annual September Beantown Jazz Festival on Columbus Avenue, with Wally’s Café, and with the Beehive nightspot. By the 1960s the city was thinking of major urban renewal efforts for the South End. A few housing projects, like Cathedral Housing Project, and Lenox/Camden Housing had already been built. Edward Logue and the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) were considering thousands of housing units of new construction. By the time they came to the South End they knew they would need to de-emphasize demolition and spend more time listening to community groups before finalizing plans. Local neighborhood activism resulted in a citizen review process and ended most mass clearance of older buildings. The South End was indeed vocal and well organized, especially the Hispanic community in Parcel 19. By 1966 the urban renewal plan had been approved in a neighborhood meeting and by the city council. With the renovation of 3,000 buildings and the construction of more than 3,000 new rental units, this was the largest urban renewal project in the nation. With the help of leaders from 16 Robert C. Hayden, Faith, Culture and Leadership: A History of the Black Church in Boston (Boston: Boston Branch NAACP, 1983), 51. 17 Boston Landmarks Commission, The South End District Study Committee Report (Boston: Boston Landmarks Commission, 1983), 11. 18 Mel King, Chain of Change: Struggles for Black Community Development (Boston: South End Press, 1981), 1981. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page Emmanuel Gospel Center and St. Stephens Church, Hispanics successfully organized to force the BRA to accept an alternate plan for Parcel 19. This community organizing effort became the IBA/ETC (Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion/Emergency Tenants Council) community development organization. The resulting Villa Victoria community became a national model. Other coalitions and organizations involved in housing and urban renewal issues included CAUSE (Community Assembly for a United South End), SETC (South End Tenants Council), and SEPAC (South End Project Area Committee). A parcel of land at the corner of Dartmouth Street and Columbus Avenue became the site of a series of protests beginning in April 25, 1968. “For the next three days, between 100 and 400 people lived on the lot. They built tents and wooden shanties and put up a large sign welcoming the media and visitors to “Tent City.” Thousands of people came. The music of guitars, bongo drums, and saxophones filled the South End.”19 These community efforts eventually led to the construction of the Tent City Housing development. As the Boston Redevelopment Authority continued to complete the urban renewal process, a group called the Committee for a Balanced South End opposed further construction of subsidized housing, while others in the community pressured potential developers to guarantee certain percentages of affordable units in their plans. Because of a series of community efforts, much of the old housing stock was preserved, and many new buildings were required to set aside low and moderate income units. Southwest Corridor Park—The Prudential Center (top left) as well as Copley Place and the Hancock Tower (top right) have had a major impact on the South End, contributing to rising housing prices and gentrification Beginning in the 1960s, the South End began to experience the evergrowing momentum of gentrification. The construction of the Prudential Center and Copley Place along with considerable public and private investment, made the South End an attractive area to young professionals. Many of the low rent apartments and rooms in rooming houses were converted to condos, displacing many lower income residents. Between 1980 and 1985 nearly 13,000 private market 19 “Activists Erect ‘Tent City’ in Boston,” Mass Moments, http://massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=126 (accessed 12 May 2009). Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page apartments were converted to condos in Boston.20 The number of lodging house rooms in Boston dropped from 25,000 in 1950 to 3,000 in 1985.21 The South End was one of the major areas where this rooming house to condo housing change took place. The South End has remained quite diverse racially and ethnically in spite of the economic pressures of gentrification. Nevertheless, the demographic diversity does not often lead to cross-cultural social networks, as the subcultures often remain relatively isolated. In recent years the neighborhoods have seen changes from the expansion of Boston Medical Center and Northeastern University in the community. There has been a growth in the arts with annual open studios, the construction of new theaters and gallery space. The South End has also seen the proliferation of restaurants and cafes. The Washington Street “Main Streets” proThe South End Buttery, a bakery café and restaurant at Shawmut Ave. & Union Park gram has been a catalyst for major residential and business development along the original central artery of the area. Other major changes have included renovations of many housing developments like the Hope VI redevelopment of Orchard Park into Orchard Gardens and major renovations in the Roxse Housing and the Camden Street housing. At the same time, 1100 or more new housing units have been built for market rate buyers, especially in the Harrison Avenue and Washington Street areas. Although large areas of the neighborhood have most of the same buildings that were present 130 years ago, there are few urban neighborhoods which have experienced as many major changes as the South End/Lower Roxbury. Understanding this complex history and interweaving of diverse people is important. 20 Rolf Goetze, “Boston’s Changing Housing Patterns, 1970-1985” (Boston: Boston Redevelopment Authority, Research Dept., 1986), part 1, p. 2. 21 City of Boston, Commission on Affairs of the Elderly. “Rooms for Rent: A Study of Lodging Houses in Boston” (Boston: City of Boston, 1986), 4. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page Boundaries o f the S outh E nd and Lo w er Rox bury A rea The boundaries of the combined South End and Lower Roxbury area follow the Southwest Corridor Park and Orange Line tracks from Back Bay Station to the Roxbury Crossing Station and then follow New Dudley Street/Malcom X Boulevard through Dudley Square along Dudley Street past St. Patrick’s Church and then down Magazine Street to Massachusetts Ave. The boundary then goes back up Massachusetts Avenue to the Melnea Cass Boulevard intersection and follows the connecting road, General Pulaski Skyway, to Route 93 north and then to the Massachusetts Turnpike (Rt. 90 and Herald Street) until it passes near the Back Bay Station. The Boston Redevelopment Authority has defined the South End to include much of this area down to Melnea Cass Boulevard as the southwest boundary. Before Melnea Cass Boulevard was built most of the area between Massachusetts Avenue and New Dudley/Dudley Street was popularly known as Lower Roxbury and was not split by the highway. During much of the 19th century, the boundary between Boston and Roxbury was between Kendall and Hammond Street and along Ball Street. The South End Landmark Historic District covers most of the area between the Southwest Corridor Park and Harrison Avenue, and between the Massachusetts Turnpike and Camden Street (except Castle Square, etc.). References to the South End alone will normally mean the BRA-defined South End since many demographic statistics are compiled for that area. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page #803 South End and Lower Roxbury Boundary (part) #806 #805 #804 #709 #708 Block Group 1 #711 (parts) #801 #712 #706 #707 #703 #705 Block Group 3 #704 South End and lower roxbury Census Tracts and boundaries Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page #708 #709 #707 #706 #703 #705 Block Group 3 #712 #704 South End and lower roxbury Census Tracts and boundaries—magnified view Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 10 (part) #806 #805 #804 #803 Block Group 1 (parts) #801 #711 South End and lower roxbury Census Tracts and boundaries—magnified view Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 11 overall population trends In the early years of the 19th century, Boston government officials hoped to attract residents to areas of the Boston neck which are now part of the South End. Plans for some streets were drawn up, but the sale of lands was slow. As Hale’s 1814 map shows, there were only a few houses and businesses on and near Washington Street. The population continued to grow slowly during the next two decades. The 1838 Thomas Bradford map shows a significant cluster of houses in Lower Roxbury along Washington Street and between today’s Zeigler Street and Eustis Street near Harrison Avenue northeast of Dudley Square. By that time the South End had four parallel major through streets: Tremont, Suffolk (now Shawmut), Washington, and Front Street (now Harrison Ave.). The extension of these streets helped to stimulate population growth. By the middle of the 19th century, South End from J.G. Hales map of 1814 showing planned new land was being filled, new housing was streets and contemporary buildings being built, and the population of the South End was growing substantially. Initially South End bowfront row houses were mostly designed for individual families, but later the population increased more as the buildings were divided up into rooming houses and small apartments. Between 1900 and the 1950s, the South End was overcrowded with many immigrant families and single lodgers squeezing into rooms and small apartments. “The pace of change in the population of the South End slowed in the 1930s because of economic conditions and in the early 1940s because of the war. By the middle of the 40s, the population was close to 60,000, and the South End was the most densely inhabited district in the City of Boston.”22 Between 1950 and 1960 the population dropped dramatically as families moved to the suburbs and there were few newcomers to take their place. In the following decade many people were displaced through urban renewal and the population dropped by more than 12,000. Since 1970 the South End population has increased, although this moderate change masks some important and complex underlying dynamics. On the one hand the population density in the historic rowhouses has decreased as rooming houses and family apartments were converted to condos and some single family buildings. On the other hand these decades have seen a number of large scale housing developments built. Some of these have been for low and moderate income residents and others for high income residents. Overall, a significant number of new housing units have been built in the last few decades, even though the neighborhood was already highly built up. 22 Boston Landmarks Commission, South End Report, 20. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 12 South end PoPulation trendS 70,000 60,000 50,000 57,218 40,000 30,000 34,956 20,000 22,775 27,125 28,842 28,239 1980 1990 2000 10,000 0 1950 1960 1970 Population Year 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 200724 South End Boston Population23 Population 57,218 801,444 34,956 697,197 22,775 641,071 27,125 562,994 28,842 574,283 28,239 589,141 31,000 608,352 23 Boston Redevelopment Authority, South End District Profile & Proposed 1978-1980 Neighborhood Improvement Program (Boston: BRA, 1977), 3. Also, BRA, “Boston’s Population—2000,” Report 541 (Boston: BRA, 2001), 11. Based on U.S. Census data. BRA defined area of the South End which extends to Melnea Cass Boulevard. Some parts of the study area between Melnea Cass Boulevard and Dudley Street are not included in this table. 24 2007 Boston population based on a U.S. Census revision in 2008. See Stephanie Ebbert, “Revision Puts Population Estimate for Hub Over 600,000,” Boston Globe, 5 December 2008, Metro B3. The 2007 South End estimate is based on at least 1,100 new housing units built in the South End and a large increase in the number of young children since 2000. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 13 RACI A L A ND E T HNI C T R E NDS Over many decades the area has been quite diverse, racially and ethnically. In the past it has been a port of entry for immigrants from dozens of countries. It has had substantial numbers of African Americans, West Indians, Asians, Hispanics and whites. In 1960 the neighborhood was 58% white, 39% black, 1% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. In 1970 it was 41% white, still 39% black, 7% Hispanic, and 13% Asian. The large amount of subsidized housing in the South End enabled the area as a whole to remain quite diverse despite the influx of young professionals in the 1980s and 1990s. Between 1980 and 2000, the main change in the ethnic makeup of the neighborhood was the increase in the percentage of whites from 35% to 45% and the decrease in the percentage of blacks from 39% to 23%. The Hispanic population increased from 13% (3,443) to 16% (4,773) during those years. The Asian population stayed about the same at 12%. Two tables will be given because the sources use different categories in different decades. Trends in the South End Population, 1960-197025 White Black Hispanic Chinese & Other South End 1960 58% 39% 1% 2% South End 1970 41% 39% 7% 13% Trends in the South End Population, 1980-200026 GROUPS 1980 1990 2000 Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent White 9,554 35% 11,433 40% 12,780 45% Black/African 10,503 39% 9,088 39% 6,422 23% American Hispanic 3,443 13% 4,663 16% 4,773 17% Asian/Pacific 3,192 12% 3,458 12% 3,358 12% Islander Native American 77 0% 114 0% 94 0% Other Single 356 1% 116 0% 117 0% Race Multiracial 695 2% Total 27,125 100% 28,842 100% 28,239 100% White Minorities 9,554 35% 17,551 65% 11,433 17,409 40% 60% 12,780 15,459 45% 55% 25 Boston Redevelopment Authority, South End District Profile (1977), 4. 26 Boston Redevelopment Authority, “Boston’s Population—2000,” Report 541, “Changes in Population, Race, and Ethnicity” (Boston: Boston Redevelopment Authority, 2001), 11. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 14 Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 15 Age Characteristics o f the population The distribution of youth is uneven across the South End/Lower Roxbury area, and the concentration of various racial and cultural groups is higher in some census tracts than others. Census Tract 805 in Lower Roxbury has by far the largest number of 10-19 year olds (636). Tract 705 in the center of the South End has the second-highest number of youth. 54% of the study area’s Hispanic youth are concentrated in just three census tracts: 705,805, 709. Most (71%) Asian youth live in census tracts 704 and 705, which includes Castle Square and the adjacent area in central South End. There are large numbers of African American youth in census tracts 805, 707, 709, and 804. The total number of youth in the South End declined by 16.3% from 1990 to 2000, with both white youth and minority youth declining in numbers. Most of the decline was in African American youth (-571), Asian youth (-208), and white youth (-116), while the number of Hispanic youth remained about the same. 27 ComPoSition of the Youth PoPulation (10-19 YrS.) in South end/lower roxBurY Two/More 6% White 17% Other 21% White Black or African American Asian Other race Two or more races Asian 11% Black/Afr. Amer. 45% (Hispanic youth are 33.5% of the total youth population, but are distributed among the various groups in the pie chart above) 27 Boston Redevelopment Authority, “Boston’s Population–2000: Changes in Youth Population (under 18) by Race and Ethnicity in Boston and Boston’s Neighborhoods,” Report 543 (Boston: BRA, 2001), 9. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 16 Composition of the Youth Population (10-19 years old) by Census Tracts Census Total White Black or Afri- Asian Other 2 or more Hispanic* Tracts youth can American Race Races (any race) 704 291 11 80 171 22 5 44 28 705 417 90 72 142 23 238 88 706 60 33 18 6 3 0 8 707 222 19 171 10 12 10 26 29 708 159 64 8 15 12 32 60 709 273 44 141 5 49 29 101 711 151 33 67 18 19 13 32 712 118 22 29 23 34 10 64 804 163 9 97 6 44 6 63 805 636 52 397 5 144 32 237 703 BG 3 40 25 3 6 5 0 7 801 BG 1** 21 6 5 0 9 1 8 801 BG 2 144 9 39 0 80 16 37 803 BG 1 104 7 67 0 26 4 33 30 806 BG 1 190 55 10 30 11 46 83 806 BG 2 165 18 86 1 37 20 82 Area Total 3154 519 1409 341 671 192 1058 BG means block group (each census tract is divided into 2-4 block groups). *Hispanic numbers are included in the columns to the left. **Only the part of the block group north of Magazine Street and west of Massachusetts Avenue is included (approximately 150 teenagers were incarcerated in the Suffolk County house of correction at the time of the 2000 census. This facility is located in block group 1, block 1000). 28 U.S. Census 2000, Tables P12, P12A-H, “Sex by Age (Race),” Summary File 1 (SF1). Note—Native American and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander files not included (very few of these youth are in the area). 29 Only 24 of the youth in this census tract are non-Hispanic white. 30 Most of the 45 youth in this census tract who are 18 or 19 years old are college students. 31 Most of the 73 youth in this block group area who are 18 and 19 years old are college students. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 17 Family S tructure The South End and Lower Roxbury areas have 2,727 married couple families. One-third of these families (919) have children under 18 years old, while the other two-thirds (1,808) do not have children under 18. There are 2,416 female headed households with 1,527 single mothers with children under 18 years old. Only 132 households headed by single males have children under 18. In the South End/Lower Roxbury, 64.4% of the families with children under 18 years are single parent families, and 59% are female-headed households. This is a much higher percentage of female-headed households with children than in the state (21.8%), the nation (21.9%), or in Boston (42%). female-headed houSeholdS with Children er R ox to n S .En Percent d/ low B os S ta te Nat i on 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% The South End has also attracted a number of older couples who are now “empty nesters” no longer needing large suburban homes. Many young Anglo couples are now raising young children in the South End. This trend should be visible in the 2010 census, although there were already close to 300 non-Hispanic white children under 10 years old, listed in the 2000 census. Overall, however, the South End has a relatively low proportion of married couple families with children. On the other hand, the South End also has a large population in non-family households of unrelated individuals. Of the 13,077 who live in non-family households, 7,031 or 24.9% of the total population live alone. More than 1,000 of those living alone are over 65 and over. Many of the other 6,000 are single young adults. According to Census Table PCT-14, 4% of the households of South End/Lower Roxbury are same-sex partner households. The South End has a very high proportion of non-family households compared to other areas, with only Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 18 51.3% of the household population in family households. The percentage nationally is about 85%, statewide about 82% and in Boston 68%. This characteristic was also true in the past when many unrelated single people occupied the South End’s rooming houses. PerCent non-familY houSeholdS 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Nation State Boston South End Percent Non-family households Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 19 Economics and Income The percent of families in poverty varies widely in this area between census tracts. In a few areas the rate is around 7%, while in other areas it is over 30%. Nine of the 14 census tracts have more than 25% of the families below the poverty line. Overall, 1,604 families or 24.5% of the total are below the poverty level. This rate is more than 3.5 times the state percentage and 2.5 times the national rate of family poverty. One reason the rate is high is that many major subsidized housing developments are located in the area. The Boston Housing Authority owns 14 developments in the South End/Lower Roxbury and several other major affordable housing developments are located here. The rate of poverty among nonfamily householders is higher than the rate among families in eight of the 14 census tracts (sometimes significantly higher), but in other census tracts it is lower. Area United States Massachusetts City of Boston *Tract # 703 Tract # 704 Tract # 705 Tract # 706 Tract # 707 Tract # 708 Tract # 709 Tract # 711 Tract # 712 *Tract # 801 *Tract # 803 Tract # 804 Tract # 805 *Tract # 806 Totals Families in poverty32 # of Families # of Families Below Poverty 72,261,780 6,620,945 1,587,537 105,619 116,657 17,892 483 32 411 142 979 270 369 27 412 44 511 39 450 118 381 72 183 65 421 124 397 108 184 47 955 377 402 139 6,538 1,604 % of Families Below Poverty 9.2% 6.7% 15.3% 6.6% 34.5% 27.6% 7.3% 10.7% 7.6% 26.2% 18.9% 35.5% 29.5% 27.2% 25.5% 39.5% 34.6% 24.5% *Not all block groups in these census tracts are within the study area. 32 U.S. Census 2000, Table QT-P35, Poverty Status in 1999 of Families and Nonfamily Householders, Summary File 3 (SF 3). Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 20 H ousing Housing in the South End includes many Victorian era, brick bowfront row houses which were originally designed as single family buildings, but are now divided up into apartments or condos. Most of these were built between 1840 and 1870, and renovated between 1970 and the present. In addition there are numerous apartment buildings and housing developments which are either partly or entirely subsidized. Recently, other large developments with market rate condos or lofts have been added to the housing stock. Other types of housing include temporary shelter housing at Pine Street Inn, A South End bowfront townhouse Rosie’s Place, Boston Family Shelter, Sancta Maria, and the Woods Mullen Shelter for individuals who are homeless (all in the South End). Northeastern University has also added a large number of student dormitory rooms in the area. Lower Roxbury is characterized by a very low rate of home ownership. For example, the subneighborhood area defined by the BRA roughly between Melnea Cass Boulevard and New Dudley/Dudley Street has a home ownership rate of only 3.8%.33 The percentage of owneroccupied housing units in the South End/Lower Roxbury area as a whole is 25.2%, which is higher than in the past, but still far below the state and national rates which are above 60%. In the South End, only 7% of the owner-occupied housing units are owned by African Americans. Even with the 2008-2009 recession, housing prices in the South End have remained quite high. For example, in a May 2009 open house listing, 64 out of 90 houses/condos for sale were above $500,000 and 77 out of 90 were Old Industrial Buildings and artifacts along Harabove $400,000. 12 out of 13 sales were above rison Avenue are being renovated and reused for $400,000.34 Because market rate housing in the offices, galleries, studios, lofts and restaurants area has been very expensive in recent years, middle class families have been priced out of the market. 33 Boston Redevelopment Authority, Census 2000: Roxbury, Lower Roxbury Neighborhood, “Housing Units and Household Population by Tenure,” Area 56 (Boston: BRA, 2002), 4. 34 “MLS Open Houses,” and “Banker and Tradesman Real Estate Transaction Listing,” Boston Courant, 8 May 2009, 12, 14,15. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 21 South End/Lower Roxbury Housing: Ownership & Rentals35 Number Percent Total occupied housing units 15,752 100% Owner-occupied housing units 3,963 25.2% Renter-occupied housing units 11,789 74.8% Housing developments Camfield Gardens Cathedral Housing Castle Square Concord Houses (715 and 725 Tremont St.) Grant Manor Orchard Gardens Langham Court Parmalee Court Lenox Housing Roxbury Corners Madison Park Roxse Housing Mandela Housing Tent City Methunion Whittier St. Housing IBA–ETC –Villa Victoria The following tables provide demographics from the Boston Housing Authority for several of the area’s housing developments. Population Composition of Housing Developments Hispanic Asian Other Development White Black Native name American Lenox Street 26 157 6 315 26 0 Cathedral 55 358 4 492 45 1 Whittier Street 7 207 2 236 11 0 West Newton St. 15 94 1 84 11 0 Rutland 3 7 0 17 0 0 Camden Street 7 30 1 82 6 1 530 955 463 205 27 127 Youth Population by Age in the Housing Developments 0-4 5-6 7-13 14-15 16-17 18-21 Development name yrs. yrs. yrs. yrs. yrs. yrs. 50 25 76 19 16 33 Lenox Street Cathedral 85 50 154 36 47 71 Whittier Street 50 20 75 19 29 45 West Newton St. 10 8 20 7 7 10 Rutland 3 3 3 1 2 1 Camden Street 16 6 15 5 5 9 22-24 yrs. 22 47 18 5 1 0 Total 35 Ibid., and combined with same table from BRA, Census 2000: South End Planning District (Area 6). Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 22 Churches o f the south end and Lo w er rox bury Historical Background Since the South End was built on newly filled land, many of the congregations that built churches there in the 19th century had previously met elsewhere in the city. In the decades to come most of these church buildings passed on from one congregation to another as the South End population went through many ethnic changes. Because of the ever changing character of the neighborhood, as many as 200 churches and religious institutions have met at one time or another in the South End. Some of the early churches of the South End were old St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (1836 on Northampton Street at Harrison Ave.), the Church of the Messiah (1843), Holy Trinity Catholic Church (1844), the Shawmut Congregational Church (1849) which grew out of the Suffolk Street Union Church (1845), the Tremont Street Methodist Church (1848), and the Church of the Unity (1857). Other churches of the 1860s and 1870s (date of building in parentheses) included the Church of the Immaculate Conception (1861), the Berkeley Street Church (Congregational, 1862), the South Congregational Church (pastored by Edward Everett Hale; 1862), Clarendon Street Baptist (1869), the Church of the Disciples (Unitarian, 1869), Second Universalist Church (1872), the 28th Congregational Society (Unitarian, 1873 in Theodore Parker Memorial Hall), Ebenezer Baptist Church (1871), and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (1875). By the 1880s the Jewish population of the South End was growing, and in 1885 Temple Adath Israel built a synagogue on Columbus Ave. In 1889 Boston’s oldest official Jewish congregation, Ohabei Shalom, moved into the former home of the South Congregational Church. German and Nova Scotian immigrants had already established churches. Scandinavian immigrants also came into the South End and started churches such as the Norwegian Congregational Church, the Norwegian Lutheran Church, Emmanuel’s Swedish Lutheran Church, Calvary (Swedish) Baptist Church, and Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church. Later many of these members moved on to parts of Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and beyond. By the early 20th century immigrants from Syria, Armenia, Lebanon, and Greece were also establishing congregations. Meanwhile several Presbyterian churches of Nova Scotian and Canadian background were growing to more than 500 members each. The 20th century also saw the growth of many major African American churches as well as dozens of smaller black congregations. The South End/Lower Roxbury black population Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 23 was growing as people moved from Beacon Hill, especially in the 1890s, and new immigrants came to Boston from the South. In 1895 St. Mark’s Congregational Church was organized in the South End, where it met in various locations until 1926. In 1898 the historic People’s Baptist Church (then known as St. Paul’s Baptist) moved from Beacon Hill and bought the New South Church building on Camden Street. By 1904 Columbus Avenue AME Zion Church occupied the synagogue built by Temple Adath Israel less than 20 years before. In 1908 St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church moved from the West End and joined with St. Martin’s Mission in a new building on Lenox Street. In 1913 St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church was founded to serve the West Indian population, and by 1924 the congregation had completed their present building. In 1946 Concord Baptist bought the United Presbyterian Church building when that congregation moved to Newton, and Union Methodist Church (previously called Fourth Methodist) bought the former Second Universalist building on Columbus Avenue and West Newton Street in 1949. Later New Hope Baptist Church (founded in 1916) bought the former Tremont Street Methodist building. Over the last several decades many members from these churches have moved out to other neighborhoods and cities; however, they still return to the South End to attend church. Mount Calvary Baptist, First Church of God (Shawmut Community Church), United Emmanuel Holiness Church, and Grant A.M.E. Church also flourished in the neighborhood. In the decades before the 1980s, many smaller Black churches occupied storefronts, rowhouses, and small meeting spaces in the South End. During the 1980s rents and real estate prices increased dramatically. Because of residential displacement and increased costs, many of these churches moved out of the South End or closed. Today there are only a few storefront churches left. In the 1960s the South End Hispanic population grew from 1% to 7%.36 By 1965 there were at least four Hispanic congregations in the neighborhood. Beginning at that time and continuing for many years, the South End was something of an incubator of Hispanic churches. Many churches, including the Lion of Judah Church, began by meeting at the Emmanuel Gospel Center. At one point Hispanic pastors and Christians held a service and prayer gathering in Blackstone Square that resulted in restoring peace to the neighborhood in a time of riots. Although the South End Hispanic population has continued to grow, the number of Spanish language churches has declined in part because of the difficulty of finding inexpensive space to rent. 36 Boston Redevelopment Authority, South End District Profile (Boston: Boston Redevelopment Authority, 1979), 4. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 24 Map of Churches See maps on next two pages; also refer to pages 28-30 for full names and details of churches 1. Boston Missionary Baptist Church 2. Cathedral of the Holy Cross 3. Chinese Christian Church of Praise & Worship 4. Church of God Valley of Blessing 5. Columbus Avenue AME Zion Church 6. Concord Baptist Church 7. Congregación León de Judá/Lion of Judah Church 8. Ebenezer Baptist Church 9. Good Shepherd Church of God in Christ 10. Grant AME Church 11. Heart Change Fellowship 12. Iglesia de Cristo Miel Ministerios ELIM, Boston (Elim Church) 13. Iglesia de Dios (64 Aguadilla Street) 14. Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal MI, “Fuente de Vida” 15. Iglesia de Jesucristo una Luz en el Camino 16. Iglesia Movimiento Mision Cristiana, AICU 17. Mount Calvary Baptist Church 18. New Hope Baptist Church 19. Peoples Baptist Church 20. Salvation Army Roxbury Center 21. Salvation Army South End Community & Worship Center 22. Shawmut Community Church of God 23. South End Neighborhood Church of Emmanuel 24. St. Augustine’s and St. Martin’s Episcopal Church 25. St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church 26. St. John the Baptist Hellenic Orthodox Church 27. St. Patrick Catholic Church 28. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church 29. Union United Methodist Church 30. United Emmanuel Holiness Church, Inc. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 25 3 2 5 19 17 4 29 8 18 6 13 15 28 1623 12 21 26 31 Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 26 27 20 9 Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 27 1 11 7 10 30 14 22 24 25 Youth Violence Systems Project Church Directory of the South End and Lower Roxbury Boston Missionary Baptist Church 336 Dudley St., Boston, MA 02119 617-427-4448 Rev. Soliny Vedrine Youth programs serving the Haitian community Cathedral of the Holy Cross 1400 Washington St., Boston 617-542-5682 www.angelfire.com/ma4/cathedral/home.html The Most Rev. Sean O’Malley O.F.M. Cap, Archbishop Very Rev. Kevin J. O’Leary, VF, Rector Rev. Carlos Lopez, Parochial Vicar Sister Tanya Santander-Atauchi, CDP, Director of Religious Ed. and Youth Group Youth Group meets on Fridays at 7 p.m. (Contact: 617-524-1024) Chinese Christian Church of Praise & Worship 89 Union Park St., Apt. 301, Boston 617-426-5930 Rev. Jun Chen, Senior Pastor Church of God Valley of Blessing Eglise de Dieu Vallee de Benediction 485 Columbus Ave., Boston 781-308-4367 Rev. Adler Jean-Louis, Pastor Columbus Avenue AME Zion Church 600 Columbus Ave., Boston 617-266-2758 Rev. Lloyd W. McKenzie, Jr., Pastor Concord Baptist Church 190 Warren Ave., Boston 617-266-8062 www.cbcboston.org Rev. Conley Hughes Jr., Pastor Youth programs include youth meetings on the second and fourth Friday evenings, a youth music ensemble, a Saturday discussion group, and a Young Women’s group for 13-18 year olds, which seeks to empower each young woman to strive for excellence through Bible study, workshops, discussion, and outreach Congregación León de Judá Lion of Judah Church 68 Northampton St., Boston 617-541-4455 www.leondejuda.org Dr. Roberto Miranda, Pastor Miguel Prieto, Youth Pastor Samuel Acevedo, Director of the Boston Higher Education Resource Center The church hosts the Boston Higher Education Resource Center (see description under organizations) and has several youth programs including an Awana program and youth group meetings, Fridays, 7:30 p.m. Ebenezer Baptist Church 157 West Springfield St., Boston 617-262-7739 www.ebenezerbaptistchurchofboston.org Rev. James Dove, Pastor Good Shepherd Church of God in Christ 18 Whittier St., Boston, MA 02120 617-445-6016 Rev. Samuel B. Hogan Grant AME Church 1906 Washington St., Boston 617-427-0670 Rev. Roland McCall, Pastor Heart Change Fellowship (meeting at Orchard Gardens Pilot School) 906 Albany St., Boston, MA 02119 www.heartchangefellowship.com Pastor Jua Robinson Iglesia de Cristo Miel Ministerios ELIM, Boston (Elim Church) 2 San Juan St., Boston (meeting at Emmanuel Gospel Center) 617-308-1644 www.mielboston.org Rev. Erick Barrios Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 28 Iglesia de Dios 64 Aguadilla St., Boston Pastors Maria and Juan Rodriguez Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal MI, “Fuente de Vida” 589 Shawmut Ave., Boston 617-763-3467 Iglesia de Jesucristo una Luz en el Camino 64 Aguadilla St., Boston 617-267-0890 Pastor Julia Carrasquillo Iglesia Movimiento Mision Cristiana, AICU/Christian Mission Movement Church 2 San Juan St., Boston (meeting at Emmanuel Gospel Center) 617-905-8722 Rev. Fundador Morales, Sr. and Rev. Fundador Morales, Jr., Pastors Mount Calvary Baptist Church 541 Massachusetts Ave., Boston 617-247-8614 www.bullockbrothers.org Mount Calvary has youth programming, including leadership development and music New Hope Baptist Church 740 Tremont St., Boston 617-536-9332 Rev. Willie Dubose, Jr., Pastor Minister Olivia Dubose, Christian Education Director The church has a youth group for teens (meeting on Sundays), a summer program for young people, assists youth with academics, and helps prospective college students Peoples Baptist Church 134 Camden St., Boston 617-427-0424 www.pbcboston.org Rev. Dr. Wesley Roberts, Pastor Myra Kinds, Minister to Youth and Families The church has a youth choir, youth group on Fridays, 7-9 p.m., a youth and family ministry, young adult ministry, and an afterschool tutorial program (Tues., Wed., and Thurs., 3-7 p.m.). They have also partnered with two Boston Public Schools. Salvation Army Roxbury Center 23 Vernon St., Boston, MA 02119 617-427-6700 Majors Yvon and Lilia Alkintor, Corps Officers [email protected] Youth programs include the Timothy J. Smith Computer Center, open Mon.-Fri., 9:30 a.m.6 p.m. The computer center educates young people in the local neighborhood with special attention given to developing their computer skills. College Prep coursework is offered Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m. A Summer Enrichment Program is offered for girls on Tuesdays to build character, self-esteem, and positive values. A summer camp is also available to local youth. Salvation Army South End Community & Worship Center 1500 Washington St., Boston 617-536-5260 www.use.salvationarmy.org/use/ www_use_mas.nsf Captains Greg and Irene Norman See description of youth programs under organizations Shawmut Community Church of God 600 Shawmut Ave., Boston 617-445-3263 www.shawmutchog.org South End Neighborhood Church of Emmanuel 2 San Juan St., Boston (meeting at Emmanuel Gospel Center) 617-262-0900 www.southendchurch.org Rev. Neal Armandt, Pastor St. Augustine’s and St. Martin’s Episcopal Church 29-31 Lenox St., Boston 617-442-6395 www.saintaugustinesaintmartin.org Rev. Evan L. Thayer Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 29 St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church 1073 Tremont St., Boston 617-427-6175 www.stcyprians.org Rev. Henderson L. Brome St. John the Baptist Hellenic Orthodox Church 15 Union Park St., Boston 617-536-5692 www.saintjohnthebaptist.org Rev. Father George Dragas, Pastor St. Patrick Catholic Church 10 Magazine St., Roxbury, MA 02119 617-445-7645 Rev. Walter J. Waldron, Pastor Rev. Jose A. Borja, Rev. Christopher Gomes, Rev. Carlos A. Lopez, Vicars St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church 419 Shawmut Ave., Boston 617-262-9070 www.ststephensbos.org Rev. Timothy Crellin, Vicar Liz Steinhauser, Director of Youth Programs See description under organizations Union United Methodist Church 485 Columbus Ave., Boston 617-536-0872 www.gbgm-umc.org/unionboston Rev. Latrelle Miller Easterling United Emmanuel Holiness Church, Inc. 65 Windsor St., Boston 617-442-4183 St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church Rev. Anthony S. Medford, Pastor Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 30 S outh E nd / Lo w er Rox bury S chools and E ducation Schools Blackstone Elementary, located on Shawmut Avenue in the South End, served 612 students in grades K-5 for the 2008-2009 school year. The student body can broken down into 17.6% black, 75.8% Hispanic, 4.6% white, 1.1% Asian, and 0.8% other. The school maintains an average daily attendance rate of 96.4% and a staff to student ratio of 1:12. Blackstone is currently being restructured because of not meeting No Child Left Behind requirements in English Language Arts (ELA). The school includes 43.5% of students whose first language is not English and 30.7% who have limited English proficiency. Students receiving free or reduced lunch account for 77.8% of the student body. They have a dual language program for grades K-3. Hurley K-8 School, located on Worcester Street, served 312 students in grades K-7 in the 2008-2009 school year. The school runs a Spanish-English dual language program providing dual immersion in all classes except the core curriculum. Next year all classes will be included in the dual immersion program. The student body is 21.8% black, 64.4% Hispanic, 10.6% white, 1% Asian, and 2.2% other. Average daily attendance for students is 94.2% and the staff to student ratio is 1:14. Because of low performance on the No Child Left Behind requirements in Math the school is restructuring. Students whose first language is not English make up 43.5% of the student body, while 30.7% of students are limited English proficient. In addition, 77.8% of students are receiving free or reduced lunch. Timility Middle School, located on Roxbury Street, served 662 students in grades 6-8 in the 2008-2009 school year. In 2007 Timility was awarded the “Seeds Planted: Harvest Begun” Award from the Notre Dame Montessori and in 2008 it was recognized for Excellence in Educational Leadership by the Livingstone College Alumni Association. The student body was composed of 47.7% black, 46.7% Hispanic, 2.7% white, 1.7% Asian, and 1.2% other. Students maintained an average daily attendance rate of 95%. Timility runs an extended school day with school going from 7:35 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. and maintains a staff to student ratio of 1:12. The school is restructuring under No Child Left Behind regulations. Students who do not speak English as a first language make up 41.1% of the student body, and 21.9% are limited English proficient. Free or reduced lunch is given to 86.3% of students. Dearborn Middle School, a member of Foundations for Excellent Schools, located on Greenville Street outside of Dudley Square, served 399 students in grades 6-8 for the 2008-2009 school year. Of these students, 61.7% were black, 31.8% Hispanic, 2.5% white, 1.3% Asian, and 2.8% other. The school maintained an average daily student attendance rate of 93.2% and a staff to student ratio of 1:11. About 54% of students do not have English as a first language and 38% have limited English proficiency. Students qualifying for free or reduced lunch made up 86.5% of the student body. The school is currently being restructured because of not meeting No Child Left Behind requirements. Cathedral Elementary School, located on Harrison Avenue in the South End, serves students in K-8 grades. 213 students attended this co-ed Roman Catholic school in the Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 31 2007-2008 school year. The school can be broken down as 78.4% black, 19.2% Hispanic, 1.4% Asian, and 0.93% white. Cathedral High School is an urban, co-ed, multi-cultural, private, Catholic collegepreparatory learning community committed to excellence. The school of 250 students features small class size and a new gymnasium. Its student body is 46% non-Catholic. The students are from 33 nationalities and the school is 31% African American, 21% Haitian, 18% Hispanic, 11% Caribbean, 9% Cape Verdean, and 6% White. 100% of the class of 2007 went on to post-graduate education. See www.cathedralhighschool.net. Cathedral High School, 74 Union Park St., Boston, MA 02118; 617-542-2325. Boston Day and Evening Academy is a pilot high school located in the Dudley Square neighborhood. The day program serves students who are at least 16 and haven’t attended high school. Students who have dropped out of high school and would like to return attend the evening program. In addition, students who are unable to attend school because of parenting, health, work, or other commitments can participate in the distance learning program. The school serves 135 students, who are 60.7% black, 34.1% Hispanic, 3.7% white, 0.7% Asian, and 0.7% other race. The school has a “needs improvement” status under No Child Left Behind. Mason Elementary School is a pilot school in Roxbury which has been recognized as one of the 50 best elementary schools in Massachusetts by Boston Magazine in 2005. This K-5 grade school serves 207 students and is 62.8% black, 25.1% Hispanic, 8.2% white, 1% Asian, and 2.9% other. 23% of students did not speak English as a first language and 71% receive free or reduced lunch. Orchard Gardens K-8 School is a pilot school located on Albany St. in Roxbury. The school was started through the efforts of the Orchard Gardens Residents Association and continues to draw students mostly from within a two mile radius of the school. The school has a community building theme. The 680 students are 35.1% black, 61% Hispanic, 2.5% white, 0.3% Asian, and 1% other race. 24% of students receive special education and 24% receive bilingual education. 93% are low income and 34.5% are limited English proficient. 46% did not speak English as a first language. The school has a “corrective action” status under No Child Left Behind for both ELA and math. Madison Park Technical Vocational High School is Boston’s only technical vocational high school and offers 17 programs to 1398 students. Located near Dudley Square in Roxbury, the student body is 48.6% black, 44.3% Hispanic, 4.6% white, 1.2% Asian, and 1.2% other. Sixty two percent of students are low income and 51.2% did not speak English as a first language. O’Bryant School of Math and Science, a college prep exam school on Malcolm X Boulevard in Roxbury, serves 1261 students in grades 7-12. The school has a gateway program for science and medicine as well as four year course sequences for engineering and computer programming. The school has met adequate yearly progress standards under No Child Left Behind. Students are 41.8% black, 22.7% Hispanic, 12.1% white, 22.6% Asian, and 0.9% other race. 46% did not speak English as their first language, 34.5% are limited English proficient, and 64.3% are low income. Quincy Elementary School was identified as one of the 100 best elementary schools Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 32 in Massachusetts by the Boston Magazine in 2005. Students are scoring well on the MCAS tests, with about 90% or more receiving passing scores in 2008 and 42% of fifth graders scoring Advanced/Above Proficient in math. The student body of 822 students is 10.9% Black, 11.1% Hispanic, 8.3% White, and 68.6% Asian. The school offers Mandarin language instruction and 23.6% of the students receive bilingual education. Quincy Upper School, located near the South End, offers a longer school day on four days a week. The school is organized into four “Pavilions” to nurture and educate the development of the whole person: (1) Information, (2) Cultural, (3) Renewal, and (4) Pathfinding. The student body of 484 students is 26.4% Black, 10.3% Hispanic, 5.6% White, and 56.6% Asian. This North Zone school serves grades 6-12 and plans to adopt the International Baccalaureate Diploma program which is recognized worldwide. Two members of the school debate team went to the Chase Urban Debate National Championship in 2009. William McKinley Schools, located on Warren Avenue in the South End, are composed of McKinley Elementary, McKinley Middle School, McKinley Preparatory High School, and McKinley South End Academy. Together, they serve 451 students with special educational needs, including emotional, behavioral, and learning needs. The school has a staff to student ration of 1:8 and the student body can be broken down to 57% black, 28.2% Hispanic, 12.6% white, 1.1% Asian, and 1.1% other. The school is restructuring under No Child Left Behind requirements. Higher Education Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology 41 Berkeley St. Boston, MA 02116 617-423-4630 www.bfit.edu Bunker Hill Community College—IBA Community College Extension Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary—Boston Center for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME) 90 Warren St. Roxbury, MA 02119 617-983-9393 [email protected] www.gordonconwell.edu/boston Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion 405 Shawmut Ave. Boston, MA 02118 617-927-1707 www.iba-etc.org/programs/com_col.html Northeastern University 250 Rutherford Ave. Boston, MA 02129 617-228-2000 www.bhcc.mass.edu Roxbury Community College 360 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115 617-373-2000 www.northeastern.edu 1234 Columbus Avenue Roxbury Crossing, MA 02120 617-427-0060 www.rcc.mass.edu Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 33 Dropout Rates The annual dropout rates for the high schools in this area in 2007-08 reached a level equal to or lower than the Boston citywide dropout rate. The O’Bryant School (which is an exam school) and Quincy Upper School had very low dropout rates, while Madison Park High School and McKinley School (which serves students with special educational needs) had higher rates. Although the annual dropout rates are not strictly comparable over the last eight years because of changing definitions, Madison Park and McKinley do seem to have made progress in lowering dropout rates. In particular the last year showed a significant decline in dropouts for both schools. These annual rates do not represent the total cumulative dropouts of a cohort over four years, but snapshots of each individual year. Annual High School Dropout Rates by Schools (percentage)37 School names 20002001 20012002 20022003 20032004 2004- 20052005 2006 Boston District McKinley School Madison Park Quincy Upper O’Bryant Math & Science 8.5% 7.0% 7.7% 8.3% 7.7% 9.9% 2006- 2007- Total 2007 2008 Dropout Count 8.9% 7.6% 1,396 High School Enrollment 18,414 22.8% 19.3% 16.8% 13.4% 18.3% 23.6% 17.6% 7.4% 17 231 11.9% 9.6% 8.4% 9.9% 9.1% 8.8% 9.4% 7.6% 119 1,563 - - 0.0% 0.0% 0.7% 0.0% 2.5% 0.0% 0 197 1.6% 1.1% 0.5% 0.9% 0.4% 0.5% 1.2% 1.0% 10 998 37 Massachusetts Dept. of Education,“High School Dropouts 2007-08, Massachusetts Public Schools. Appendix A: Dropout Rates by District and School, 2000-01 to 2007-08,” http://www.doe.mass.edu/ infoservices/reports/dropout/0708/appendixA.xls (accessed 7 May 2009). Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 34 Community O rgani z ations and S ocial S ervice Agencies Map of social agencies and youth programs See maps on next two pages; also refer to pages 38-43 for full names and details of agencies and programs 1. Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion 2. Blackstone Community Center 3. Boston Higher Education Resource Center 4. Orchard Gardens Community Center 5. Boston Medical Center 6. Castle Square Tenants Organization 7. Cooper Community Center 8. Ellis Memorial & Eldredge House, Inc. (66 Berkeley St.—location is different than mailing address) 9. Salvation Army Harbor Light Center 10. Madison Park Development Corporation 11. Madison Park Community Center 12. Madison Park Youth Resident Activities Program 13. Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc. 14. Salvation Army South End Community Center 15. South End Baseball (located at Peter’s Park on map, rather than downtown office) 16. South End Community Health Center 17. South End/Lower Roxbury Youth Workers’ Alliance 18. South End Technology Center @ Tent City 19. St. Stephen’s Youth Programs 20. United South End Settlements 21. Whittier Street Health Center 22. Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative 23. Emmanuel Gospel Center 24. Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 35 15 6 24 20 18 16 1 9 19 2 1 23 14 8 Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 36 4 3 22 5 11 10 5 13 7 17 12 21 Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 37 Social Agencies and Youth Programs Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion 405 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-927-1707 • www.iba-etc.org Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA) is a dynamic community building agency dedicated to increasing the social and economic power of individuals and families through education, economic development, technology, and arts programming that builds safe, vibrant and culturally diverse affordable housing communities. The Youth Learning Center includes an after-school program; a teen center providing educationally and culturally enriching activities; a summer internship program providing career and life building workshops, financial literacy classes, and community service opportunities; and a girls’ empowerment program. Cacique Youth Leadership Development Program seeks to develop community leaders by combining academic tutoring, technology training, career awareness, prevention education, and internships. Blackstone Community Center 50 West Brookline St., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-635-5162 This program is a city community center serving people of all ages and cultures. Programs include an after school program providing tutoring and other enrichment services for 20 children and a summer day camp for children aged 4-12 years old. Popular programs include youth etiquette classes, GED classes (in both English and Spanish), swimming, and theatre programs in collaboration with local theatre companies. The center has a gymnasium, pool, and other recreational space. Boston Higher Education Resource Center 68 Northampton St., 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02118 • 617-442-5608 • www.bostonherc.org This program “merges educational, spiritual, and local resources to support minority students” by preparing urban students for academic achievement. Middle school and high school students participate in SAT prep, mentoring, and an academic enrichment/college exploration program for high school juniors and seniors. Programs stress leadership development, education and career exploration, character and life skill development, and parent outreach. Orchard Gardens Community Center 2 Dearborn St., Boston, MA 02119 • 617-635-5220 Orchard Gardens Community Center in Roxbury is the only BCYF community center focused exclusively on girls. Contact Aidee Pomales at Orchard Gardens at 617-635-5240 to learn about what’s available for girls at that site. Boston Medical Center One Boston Medical Center Pl., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-638-8000 • http://development.bmc.org This medical center is a teaching hospital of Boston University School of Medicine. The hospital has numerous community outreach programs working with youth and violence prevention. The Child Witness to Violence Program provides developmentally appropriate counseling to children age eight or younger who witness acts of significant violence. The Adolescent Center, in addition to traditional medical services, provides assistance with issues such as immigration, housing, continuing education, and career counseling. Project HEALTH (Helping Empower, Advocate, and Lead through Health) brings together college volunteers and health care professionals to provide outreach and education to inner-city children and families while also advocating for 700 families per year. Violence is Preventable brings groups of 12 to 17 year olds to the emergency department and trauma rooms on busy evenings to witness the consequences of violence. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 38 Castle Square Tenants Organization 476 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02116 • 617-357-8548 • www.cstoboston.org Castle Square Tenants Organization was founded in 1987 to save affordable housing at the Castle Square Apartments. They own and operate the 500 units of Castle Square Apartments and provide community and social support for the residents, who are largely Asian-American and African-American. The Tenants Organization manages the Technology, Youth, and Education Center, which serves the community with an afterschool and summer program, teen programs, and computer classes for youth and adults (in both English and Chinese). Cooper Community Center 1891 Washington St., Roxbury, MA 02118 • 617-445-1813 • www.cooperctr.org The Hattie B. Cooper Community Center is committed to providing children and youth with the strongest developmental foundation to inspire a lifelong excitement for learning and the skills to become caring and responsible citizens. Children ages one month through 12 years are served through age-appropriate programs, including an afterschool program for those aged 5-12 years old. The afterschool program provides tutoring and mentoring with college students, among other things. Elementary aged children can also attend summer camp in Westwood, MA. Ellis Memorial & Eldredge House, Inc. 95 Berkeley St., Suite 310, Boston, MA 02116 • 617-695-9307 • www.ellismemorial.org This settlement house has been working with South End individuals and families since 1885, offering educational, social, and health support services. They serve children and youth through: an infant/toddler program serving 41 children and families; a preschool enrolling 56 children aged 2.9 to 5 years; and multiple afterschool and computer centers. Children engage in tutoring, mentoring, arts and health programs, technology training, and recreational activities. In addition, parents are offered advocacy, referrals, emotional support, counseling, information, training, and other resources. Salvation Army Harbor Light Center 407 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-536-7469 www.use.salvationarmy.org/use/www_use.nsf/fm-ndos?OpenForm&go=1&zip=02119 The Harbor Light Center in Boston’s South End features many supportive programs for those struggling with addiction. The Center features a residency program, two sober graduate houses, women’s transitional housing assistance, a dental clinic, community feeding programs, and worship services. Lower Roxbury Youth Collaborative Contact: Kevin Johnson ([email protected]) • 617-849-6240 The seven members of LRYC primarily serve youth living in the affordable housing developments of Madison Park Village, Orchard Gardens, and Orchard Commons. It is particularly committed to youth leadership and has formed a Youth Council representing all network members to provide ongoing input into the network’s priorities, programs, and service agenda. With guidance from the Council, LRYC has hired eight youth workers to encourage greater youth participation in network programs and activities. The teen youth workers did a needs assessment and identified programming strategies to improve youth work in the area. LRYC is developing a system to monitor interagency referrals and participation. Monthly youth rap sessions are bringing together teens from different agencies and housing developments to identify common needs, effective strategies, and programs. The collaborative is part of the Boston After School and Beyond Teen Initiative. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 39 Madison Park Development Corporation 184 Dudley St., Roxbury, MA 02119 • 617-541-3900 • www.madison-park.org The mission of Madison Park Development Corporation is the physical, economic, social and cultural renaissance of Roxbury. They have developed affordable housing including 113 homeownership units, 1173 rental units, 125 student housing units, and 85,000 sq. ft. of retail and office space. They have multiple arts programs, voter education and mobilization, tenant organizing, financial literacy programs, an Internet center, and community gardens. The Ellis Memorial School Age Program is a partnership between Madison Park and Ellis Memorial to provide year-round afterschool care for children ages 5-13 years old. Children engage in educational, recreational, and cultural activities, including homework assistance. In addition, scholarships are available for students preparing to enter college. Madison Park Community Center 40 Raynor Circle, Roxbury, MA 02119 • 617-445-1061 Madison Park Community Center is a city-run center which provides afterschool reading and math tutoring; a pool sports league and tennis run out of their gym; a baseball league; and a summer day camp. Madison Park Youth Resident Activities Program 55 New Dudley St., Roxbury, MA 02119 • 617-635-5209 This youth program includes afterschool education and recreational programming for children aged 6-12 as well as summer and teen programs. Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc. 1010 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02119 • 617-445-1010 • www.goodwillmass.org Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries’ mission is to provide exemplary job training and related services to help individuals with disabilities and other barriers to self-sufficiency to achieve independence and dignity through work. In 2005 they provided job and vocational training to nearly 1500 individuals with disabilities, transitioning from welfare or facing other barriers to employment. They operate seven Goodwill stores. In South Athol, Mass., is the Goodwill Fresh Air Camp, an overnight camp for ages 8-16 providing academic enrichment in addition to fishing, dance, sports, and talents shows. BNY Mellon Academy is a girls afterschool academic enrichment program for girls aged 10-17. The program provides homework assistance, mentoring, instruction in math and science, access to computers, and self-expression forums. Saturday Academy provides a focus on college and career exploration and preparation. Many of the older girls from the Academy are hired by the summer camp. Pine Street Inn 444 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-892-9100 www.pinestreetinn.org • [email protected] Pine Street Inn daily serves 1,300 individuals who are homeless through emergency and transitional shelter, permanent supportive housing, food, street outreach, job training, mental health support, and substance abuse treatment. The shelter has 700 beds (450 emergency, 250 transitional). Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 40 Project Hip Hop 2181 Washington Street, Suite 315, Roxbury, MA 02119 • 617-427-7950 www.projecthiphop.org • [email protected] PHH is youth-led, adult-supported organization that provides a space where predominantly young people of color from traditionally low-income communities in Boston can develop and exercise their individual and collective leadership. Their approach to leadership development combines skills training, experiential learning, direct action organizing and reflection. The organization provides a base of knowledge from which young people can think critically about the history and continuing legacy of racism and injustice in their own communities and greater society. The four core initiatives are (1) the Lower Roxbury Violence Prevention and Leadership Initiative (drop-in nights, street outreach, retreats), (2) Hip Hop Renaissance Initiative (teaches how to understand and critique hip hop culture, and develop artistic skills), (3) Project Action (helps youth organize around various issues that affect them), (4) Summer Leadership Institute (includes study trips and local projects to train leaders). Salvation Army South End Community Center 1500 Washington St., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-536-5260 • www.use.salvationarmy.org The Salvation Army’s South End Corps holds worship services, provides emergency assistance, a computer center, GED computer class, gymnasium, and many youth programs. Youth programs include an afterschool program with homework help, music, karate, basketball, and computer activities. They also offer summer camp at a lakeside location at a sliding cost and girls programs (similar to the Girl Scouts). South End Baseball 25 Edinboro St., Boston, MA 02111 • 617-542-2900 • www.southendbaseball.com This baseball and softball programs provide their program to children and youth aged 4-18 in the South End, including Roxbury, Dorchester, and Chinatown. This is the largest youth program in the South End. Any child may play regardless of ability or financial means (they do not charge a fee). Various teams in the 13-18 age bracket travel as far as Florida and Nebraska to compete. South End Community Health Center 1601 Washington St., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-425-2000 • www.sechc.org Established in 1969, this center is the largest provider of comprehensive care to Boston’s Latino population. In addition to traditional medical care, the center provides financial counseling, homeless care, interpretation, and insurance assistance. South End/Lower Roxbury Youth Workers’ Alliance 31 Lenox St., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-442-9800 • www.youthworkersalliance.org This network of more than 150 youth workers from over 45 organizations seeks to build cooperation among youth programs and youth through collaborative events. They advocate, provide a resource center for youth workers, and participate in diverse coalitions. In 2007, they provided grants for cross-turf programming, trained youth workers in trauma response, held an art auction, and advocated for more youth jobs and street workers. South End Technology Center @ Tent City 359 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA 02116 • 617-578-0597 • www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv The South End Technology Center @ Tent City is a collaboration between the Tent City CorporaYouth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 41 tion and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to enable people to become producers of knowledge and sharers of idea and information. The mostly-volunteer staff provides free or low-cost computer access and classes. Classes range from basic introduction classes to resume help to more advanced programming and music production classes. St. Stephen’s Youth Programs 419 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-262-9070 • www.ststephensbos.org These afterschool and summer programs serve mostly neighborhood Hispanic youth 6-17 years old. 80 young people are involved at the church’s site and 25 more participate at a second site in the Lenox Street area. The after-school program for elementary students is called LEARN (Leadership, Enrichment, Academics, Recreation, and Nurture), and uses hired older teens to help with leadership. More than 30 teens 15-18 years old are involved in the Youth Leadership Corps and the high school S2POT program providing jobs, enrichment, and academic support. The summer program, called B-SAFE (Bishop’s Summer Academic & Fun Enrichment Program), is a day camp with academic, recreational, and leadership components. It is larger and uses several sites. United South End Settlements www.uses.org This organization, formed in 1960, is the result of the merger of four of Boston’s first settlement houses. USES seeks to bring together resources in the community to promote the stabilization and well-being of those at risk; nurture personal growth and development; build community; and foster an environment where everyone can thrive. Programs include adult education; senior services; a children’s art center; an early childhood program for 16 children aged 2-32 months; a boys residential summer camp in New Hampshire; and an afterschool and summer program providing homework assistance and recreational activities. Artful Transformations is a clinically informed arts mentoring program for high-risk girls aged 11-18, designed to help them be successful in all areas of their lives. Vine Street Community Center 339 Dudley Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 • 617-635-1285 The Vine Street Community Center offers a variety of afterschool programs and activities as well as a summer program. It is a member of the Lower Roxbury Youth Collaborative. Whittier Street Health Center 1125 Tremont St., Roxbury, MA 02120 • 617-427-1000 • www.whittierstreet.org This health care center provides primary care, preventative care and social services to Roxbury and surrounding communities. Their programs include violence prevention, post-prison release/reentry programs, and Whittier Youth Services and Enrichment. Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative 504 Dudley St., Roxbury, MA 02119 • 617-442-9670 • www.dsni.org The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) is a nonprofit community-based planning and organizing entity rooted in the Roxbury/North Dorchester neighborhoods of Boston. DSNI’s approach to neighborhood revitalization is comprehensive, including economic, human, physical, and environmental growth. DSNI focuses on three strategic areas: community economic development, leadership development and collaboration, and youth opportunities and development. Talented Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 42 young adults return to the community in large numbers to play their role in sustaining change. To date more than half of the 1,300 abandoned parcels have been permanently trans¬formed into over 400 new high-quality affordable houses, community centers, new schools, Dudley Town Common, community greenhouse, parks, playgrounds, gardens, an orchard and other public spaces.” DSNI sponsors a Resident Development Institute (RDI) which has trained staff, board, and activists in the design and facilitation of adult and youth learning. They have developed a set of core leadership competency training modules. RDI trainings, based on experiential learning methods, are dynamic, interactive, and immediately relevant. RDI and DSNI offer a leadership training series on various topics both locally and nationally. Emmanuel Gospel Center 2 San Juan St., P.O. Box 180245, Boston, MA 02118 • 617-262-4567 • www.egc.org Since 1938 Emmanuel Gospel Center has been seeking to “understand and help nurture the vitality of urban churches in the context of their broader urban communities, particularly Boston’s low-income and immigrant communities. The Boston Education Collaborative supports students through mentoring and support in finishing high school and transitioning to college; neXus Boston is a collaborative effort that encourages, supports, and trains youth workers; Starlight Ministries works with volunteers from churches to feed, clothe, offer worship services, and develop relationships with people who are living on the streets. Starlight’s Sanctuary Arts Community brings together youth, staff and volunteers for a family-style meal, arts workshops, and contemplative group time. Starlight’s youth outreach provides employment and educational counseling and referral for youth on the streets. Youth Enrichment Services (YES) 412 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02118 • 617-267-5877 www.yeskids.org • [email protected] Youth Enrichment Services has served more than 100,000 youth since 1968 through bringing urban kids into outdoor and environmental experiential education programs. Through these programs YES helps “to lower the student attrition rate among urban youth by offering unique opportunities for positive risk taking and practical learning that is both problem-focused and real-world experiences.” Operation Snowsports takes kids on skiing and snowboarding trips, with lift tickets, equipments, and lessons subsidized by ski areas and other retailers. The Outdoor Adventure Program includes one-day bike and hike tours in the Boston area and overnight trips in Western Massachusetts. YES’ Job Training Program provides weekly trainings and adult mentors to prepare youth for the work world. YES works in partnership with more than 150 organizations and schools. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 43 Neighborhood Associations South End Neighborhood Associations Blackstone-Franklin Neighborhood Association President: Sherwood Hughes 617-429-9934 www.neighborhood02118.org Meetings are once a month, second Tuesday at 7 p.m at the Franklin House Bradford Street Neighborhood Association President: Rolf Carlson 617-482-2420 The Bradford Street Association usually meets every second Thursday of each month Castle Square Tenants Organization Director: Deborah Backus 617-357-8548 www.cstoboston.org [email protected] Castle Square Tenants Organization was founded in 1987 in response to the need to save affordable housing in the Castle Square Community. Since its founding CSTO has worked to maintain affordable housing in their community. Castle Square Apartments is composed of 500 units of multi-family housing, located in the South End of Boston. The organization is a strong advocate of programs and services needed to build vibrant and safe communities. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 44 Cathedral Tenants Association Chairperson: Ruth Barkley Chester Square Neighborhood Association President: Ben Miceli 857-222-3142 www.chestersquareassociation.org [email protected] Meetings are held the first Wednesday of the month at the Harriet Tubman House, corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Columbus Avenue at 7 p.m. Claremont Neighborhood Association President: Michael Kukoleca www.cnaboston.org The Claremont Neighborhood Association represents 3600 residences in the 14 blocks of the South End from Tremont Street to the Southwest Corridor and from West Newton Street to Camden Street. CNA meetings take place at the Harriet Tubman House on the corner of Columbus Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue every third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. Concord Square Neighborhood Association Contact Person: Michael Lloyd, [email protected] Cosmopolitan Neighborhood Association [email protected] Formed in 1938, the Cosmopolitan Neighborhood Association stretches from West Newton Street to Dartmouth Street, between Columbus Avenue and the Southwest Corridor Park. Meetings are on the third Wednesday of each month, September through June, at the Union United Methodist Church. Eight Streets Neighborhood Association President: John McLachlan, 617-695-3997 www.eightstreets.tripod.com Blog: http://eightstreets.blogspot.com The ESNA meets the first Wednesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., usually at the Boston Ballet on Clarendon Street Ellis Neighborhood Association President: Kathy Emrich www.ellisneighborhood.org [email protected] The Ellis Neighborhood Association meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month (there is no meeting in August), at Boston Ballet Hurley Blocks Neighborhood Association Officers: Brian Marsh, 617-266-3961 and Bob Stafford, 617-536-8340 www.discoverhurley.org The Association meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Hurley School Langham Court Neighborhood Association Methunion Manor Tenants Association Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 45 Old Dover Neighborhood Association President: Sandi Wolchansky www.olddover.org [email protected] Monthly meetings are typically held at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month at Project Place (second floor conference room), 1145 Washington Street Pilot Block Neighborhood Association President: David Mooney [email protected] Meetings are at the South End Branch Library quarterly, see bulletin boards and fliers for dates Rutland Square Neighborhood Association Chairman: Stephen Fox, [email protected] Regular Association meetings are held quarterly with notice provided to residents at their homes Rutland Street Neighborhood Association President: Laurel Acker, [email protected] Tent City Tenants Association Union Park Neighborhood Association President: Kevin Cole, 617-375-1041 [email protected] www.upna.org The Union Park Neighborhood Association is the oldest neighborhood association in the South End, having been active for at least 60 years. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of every other month January, March, etc. at 346 Shawmut Avenue. There are no meetings in July and August. Union Park Street Neighborhood Association United Neighbors of Lower Roxbury President: Nataka Crayton 90 Windsor St., Roxbury, MA 02120 www.unlr.org [email protected] Meetings are held monthly on the first Thursday of every month at United Emmanuel Holiness Church on Windsor Street. See also the organization selected by UNLR to redevelop their building at 90 Windsor Street into a community center for youth and adults: A Village at Work, 998 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA 02120; 617-271-1966; http://avillageatwork.wordpress.com. The Village at Work proposal is also available on the United Neighbors of Lower Roxbury website. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 46 Washington Gateway Main Street President: Donald Fleming, 617-542-1234 46 Waltham, Suite 304A, Boston, MA 02118 617-542-1234 www.gatewaymainstreet.org Gateway has guided the development of Washington Street in the South End/Lower Roxbury. The district runs 1.4 miles along Washington Street from Herald Street to Melnea Cass Boulevard. Mobilizing hundreds of volunteers and working through partnerships with neighborhood organizations, real estate developers, government and businesses, Gateway’s success can be seen today in new businesses, storefront improvements, residential/commercial developments, preservation projects, and rejuvenated open space. Gateway has had the unique opportunity to rebuild a commercial/residential district that had been nearly lost. In doing so, it has successfully employed all the latest ideas for community development. Renovated historic buildings, new market-rate loft apartments, mixed-income developments, urban renewal era low-income housing projects, 100 year old businesses and trendy new shops make the district one of the most diverse. There is something in the Gateway story for everyone interested in preservation and revitalization. West Concord Street Neighborhood Association Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association www.wsana.net Blog: http://wsana.blogspot.com Meetings are held 7 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month (except for August and December) in Conference Rooms C/D of the Newton Pavilion, 88 East Newton Street, Boston University Medical Center Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 47 P ublic S a f ety and Crime According to the 2004 Boston Youth Survey, youth from the South End had the highest exposure to violence (witnessed violence or were victimized by violence) of any neighborhood’s youth. More than 95% were exposed to violence. However, less than 50% of them were exposed to violence in their own neighborhood. This was the second lowest exposure to violence in a home neighborhood. The majority of violence was experienced by South End youth in other neighborhoods.38 Exposure to Violence by Respondent's Neighborhood In Neighborhood Elsewhere 100% Percent Witnessed Violence and/or Victimized by Violence (in past year) 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% L TA TO ls Al on ht rig /B n to D r te es ch r o B st Ea n to os H e yd rk Pa m Ja ca ai n ai Pl M p ta at an R le da lin os R /M ry bu ox on si is H ill h ut So on st Bo h ut So d En *Neighborhoods with n<25 not shown. Differences between neighborhoods were not statistically significant. 38 Report of the 2004 Boston Youth Survey (Boston: City of Boston and Harvard Youth Violence Prevention Center, 2005), 66. http://www.cityofboston.gov/humanservices/pdfs/youthsurvey2004.pdf (accessed 30 April 2009). This and many other charts are available in the complete online report. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 48 area d-4 Crime trendS 900 800 813 802 700 653 630 600 588 538 400 507 506 500 478 444 421 401 435 422 363 347 315 300 314 295 200 100 28 28 27 0 2004 2005 Series1 2006 Series2 1) Robbery & attempted robbery 2) Aggravated assault 3) Rape & attempted rape 4) Burglary & attempted burglary 5) Vehicle theft & attempted Series3 37 26 2007 Series4 2008 Series5 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 363 421 422 315 314 401 444 478 435 347 28 28 27 26 37 630 813 538 506 507 802 653 588 435 295 Robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and vehicle theft all showed decreases between 2004 and 2008 in police district D-4 which includes the South End, Back Bay, and parts of Roxbury. The number of rapes and attempted rapes stayed relatively constant from 2004 to 2007, but sharply increased in 2008. The number of homicides decreased from four in 2004 to two each in 2007 and 2008. However, there were already three homicides in the area in 2009 by April 19. The total number of crimes, including larcenies, declined from 6,361 in 2004 to 5,290 in 2008.39 39 Boston Police Department. Annual crime reports. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 49 The old Orchard Park housing project had a high crime rate, but with the transformation into Orchard Gardens with the Hope VI program, crime was dramatically reduced. The following chart shows crime trends in two categories: I. Crimes of Violence with malicious intent against persons and property, and II. Less serious crimes against persons and property. The redevelopment was coming to completion during the 1997-1999 period. By 2003, crime was rising again in the development, influenced by drug dealing in surrounding areas. “In response, the Orchard Gardens Resident Association started the Orchard Gardens/Common Public Safety Committee as a highly networked crime watch. The Public Safety Committee’s strategy was to collaborate with police and city agencies to bring about changes in crime enforcement and the physical environment while providing families with needed social services.”40 This partnership with the Boston Police Department resulted in improvements. In October 2008 they were awarded the MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Award. In May 2009 a teenager from Orchard Gardens was brutally murdered in Dudley Square. While the housing development may not be as bad as it once was, it still has experienced some feuding between gangs and other problems. Crime in Orchard Park/Orchard Gardens Housing Development41 1997 1998 1999 % Change Orchard Park I 80 37 21 -73.8% Orchard Park II 127 83 56 -55.9% Citywide I -6.0% Citywide II -5.8% 40 “Roxbury Community Safety Partners Win National Award,” Madison Park Development Corporation, 14 October 2008, http://www.madison-park.org/page/news (accessed 15 May 2009). 41 Boston Housing Police, “Reported Crime in Public Housing 1997-1999.” See summary on the Boston Housing Authority website, http://www.bostonhousing.org/detpages/deptinfo155.html (accessed 28 April 2009), page 6. (The Boston Housing Authority has its own nationally certified police force.) Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 50 Community Ne w s The Boston Courant P.O. Box 1248, Back Bay Station, Boston, MA 02117 617-267-2700 Published weekly The South End News 46 Plympton St., 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02118 617-266-6670 www.southendnews.com Published weekly on Thursdays The Bay State/Boston Banner 23 Drydock Ave., Boston, MA 02210 617-261-4600 www.baystatebanner.com Published weekly on Thursdays Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 51 Bibliography Boer, Albert. The Development of USES: A Chronology of the United South End Settlements, 1891-1966. Boston: United South End Settlements, 1966. Boston Redevelopment Authority. South End Urban Renewal Plan. Boston: Boston Redevelopment Authority, 1965. Dorion, E. C. E. The Redemption of the South End: A Study in City Evangelization. New York: The Abingdon Press, 1915. This book is about the ministry of Morgan Memorial. Dorn, Jonathan Andrew. “Our Best Gospel Appliances: Institutional Churches and the Emergence of Social Christianity in the South End of Boston, 1880-1920.” PhD. Thesis, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 1994. Firey, Walter. Land Use in Central Boston. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1947. Goodman, Phebe S. The Garden Squares of Boston. Hanover, N.H.: University Press of New England, 2003. See chapter two on the South End. Green, James R. The South End. Boston 200 Neighborhood Histories Project series. Boston: Boston 200 Corporation, 1975. Hayden, Robert C. Faith, Culture and Leadership: A History of the Black Church in Boston. Boston: Boston Branch NAACP, 1983. Jawitz, Robert, and Michael Weinstein. The South End, Boston, Massachusetts: Toward an Utopian Conception of Environment. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, 1969. Keyes, Langley Carleton, Jr. The Rehabilitation Planning Game: A Study in the Diversity of Neighborhood. Cambridge, Mass.: The M.I.T. Press, 1969. A study of neighborhood negotiations in the South End urban renewal process. King, Mel. Chain of Change: Struggles for Black Community Development. Boston: South End Press, 1981. Lucas, J. Anthony. Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985. McKee, Sean Cameron. “The South End: Urban Renewal, Gentrification, and Diversity in a Boston Neighborhood,“ 2000. Senior Honors Thesis, Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass. Mollenkopf, John H. The Contested City. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1983. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 52 Sammarco, Anthony Mitchell. Boston’s South End: Then and Now. Portsmouth, N.H.: Arcadia Publishing, 2005. Sammarco, Anthony Mitchell. Boston’s South End. Dover, N.H.: Arcadia Publishing, 1998. Seashores, Nancy S. Gaining Ground: A History of Landmaking in Boston. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 2003. See especially chapters 7 and 10. Small, Mario Luis. Villa Victoria: The Transformation of Social Capital in a Boston Barrio. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2004. Smith, Margaret Supplee. Between City and Suburb: Architecture and Planning in Boston’s South End. Providence, RI: Brown University Press, 1976. South End Historical Society. A Picture of the South End: Or, the Citizens and Strangers Guide to the Metropolis of Massachusetts and Its Southerly Environs, with Curious Addenda. Boston: South End Historical Society, 1968. Warner, Sam Bass, Jr. Streetcar Suburbs: The Process of Growth in Boston,1870-1900. 2nd edition. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1978. Whittlesey, Robert B. The South End Row House and Its Rehabilitation for Low-Income Residents. Boston: South End Community Development, Inc., 1969. Wolfe, Albert Benedict. The Lodging House Problem in Boston. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1906. Woods, Robert A. The City Wilderness: A Settlement Study. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, and Company, 1898. Yoshida, Okiru, editor. In South End: A Directory of Human Services. Boston: Gregg Publications, 2003. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 53 Cred its Page Source Cover The Boston Atlas, Boston Public Library—Bromley Atlases, “1890 Boston Proper and Roxbury Combine,” www.mapjunction.com. 1 Photo by Rudy Mitchell. 2 Boston Redevelopment Authority’s “Boston Atlas,” www.mapjunction.com. 3 Boston City Hospital: King’s Handbook of Boston by Moses King. Cambridge, Mass.: Moses King Publisher, 1885. p. 227. 4 Photos by Rudy Mitchell. 5 Album cover: Name of label/company is Jazz Door; from a 1955 recording released in 2000. 6&7 Photos by Rudy Mitchell. 12 Map: J.G. Hales’ Map of 1814. From the Boston Atlas at www.mapjunction.com. Boston Public Library Collection. 15 Map: Robert A. Woods, ed. The City Wilderness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin and Co., 1898. p. 56ff. 16 Chart: U.S. Census 2000, Summary File 1, Tables P12, P12 A-H (based on the table on p. 17). 18 & 19 Charts: U.S. Census 2000, SF1, Table QT-P10. (These are our own charts based on info from the Census table.) 21 Photos by Rudy Mitchell. 23 Church graphic: King’s Handbook of Boston (see above), p. 177. 30 Photo by Rudy Mitchell. 44 Map: Courtesy of www.southend.org, a public service of Finial Software, Inc., www.finial.com. 48 Chart: Report of the 2004 Boston Youth Survey. 49 Our own chart based on info from Boston Police Department data. Youth Violence Systems Project Neighborhood Briefing Document: South End & Lower Roxbury Page 54 w w w . gettingtotheroots . org