In the picture above, Alfredo Cruz is standing outside the Legacy on 14th Street mural, which highlights issues in the housing sector. The mural was completed by Bryson Boutte during the summer 2020. Bryson was featured in episode with Pat LeDuff. That episode is closely connected to this episode. CLICK HERE to listen.
If you’ve been listening to these episodes in order, you’re probably noticing a theme. All of our speakers have had one connecting thread, poverty. Specifically, the systems that create it and keep people locked into it.
Alfredo Cruz talks to us about issues surrounding housing. During our talk he really cuts to the heart of it all by saying that poverty is something that should concern us all. It’s not an us vs. them because we’re all “them.”
When I was editing this episode, it got me thinking about my own home. I live in an older home in a neighborhood that is considered to be in poverty. I purchased a testing kit and discovered that I have lead in my water.
According to the CDC, there is no safe level of lead in drinking water, so I immediately purchased an under the counter filtration system. This is a privilege of wealth. No, I’m not wealthy, but I have disposable income, so I can afford clean drinking water. But what about those who cannot? What about those who cannot even afford to find out?
I looked for resources, but did not come across anything specific, other than fact sheets about what to do if you suspect you have contaminated drinking water. So, I called the water company, but I didn’t get any answers.
There is some good news here. This issue, specifically, is part of the president’s Infrastructure bill. He wants to replace all of the lead pipes in the entire nation so everyone can have clean water in their homes, not just those with disposable income.
The fact is, until that process is complete, you could be exposed to toxic chemicals daily, and if you’re not in a financial position to check for yourself, there’s little you can do about it. Exposure to lead and mold can lead to very expensive developmental issues in children, if not death. And if that isn’t enough cause for concern, consider what will happen to these children when they grow up. Who will they become, or not become.
Like Alfredo said, what affects one of us affects all of us. So, it’s time to start caring.
I thank all of you for caring enough to listen. If you learned something, make sure to share this with a friend. That’s one action step we can all take.
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RELATED LINKS
CALL TO ACTION
This week is all about advocacy. If you’re a landlord, advocate for more rental assistance programs. If you’re a homeowner, advocate for more homeownership programs. If you’re a renter, advocate for your own rights! Share your story, because your voice matters.
Another action item for all of us is to start going to the parts of town you never go to. If you live in South Baton Rouge, go to North Baton Rouge. If you live in mid-town, go downtown. You get the idea.
The point is that we are disconnected from the problems around us. We saw the issues that came up during the pandemic when our global economy was impacted, so why wouldn’t problems two miles down the road be impacting us, too?
MEET THE WALLS
Lifting people up while breaking down the societal walls that keep people in poverty is our mission here at the Walls Project. It’s why we started our program called Futures Fund.
Earlier this season we talked to Nina Tran, an instructor for the Coding Boot Camp, which is the side of the program for adults. In this episode I speak to Dexter Jackson, who heads up the Tech Academy.
The Tech Academy is open to teens ages 13-18 and focuses on providing photography and programming skills for teens.
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