A Call Left Unanswered

                The South Bronx isn’t the only place in America that faces a great deal of poverty and crime, but The Provenance of Beauty did a lot to provoke thought and evoke action. This isn’t the only time we hear about ghettos, projects, poverty, gangs and drugs. We hear about it everywhere, from the news, to hip-hop, to books, and even talk amongst our friends. But hearing about it through some kind of media is a completely different experience than seeing it, even if it is from the seats of a charter bus. For those of us who attended, we caught a glimpse at the difficulty people endure. We saw the commemorative murals of the deceased. We saw the skyline of New York City juxtaposed with the scatter of lifeless buildings and highways. We saw the scars of capitalism and gentrification in this area where most people have nothing but hope in the American dream. It is interesting that no solution has been proposed to improve that manner of living. Improvements may have been made, but over the span of two decades, those improvements seem miniscule.  Even so the policies implemented have deteriorated and scarred this area of the city so deep, its effects may be irreversible. Everyone who went on that tour must have agreed that something had to be done. But who is listening?