The Bronx

The book I chose to read was Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. Nikki Grimes is an American author of books written for young adults and children, as well as a journalist and a poet. She earned the honor of the Coretta Scott Notable Award. Nikki was born and raised in New York City. The book Bronx Masquerade is fiction. The setting is at a high school in the Bronx. The students did their everyday activities in their classes until they got to Mr. Ward's. In Mr. Ward's class, they studied the…

I am writing you this letter in regards to the plan to build a park on the empty lot between Westchester avenue and Brook avenue here in the Bronx. My fellow scholars and I feel that the construction of this site would be amazing for our community. We want the Bronx to start being known for its art, beauty, and for all that is good here. Building the park is a phenomenal idea. The area is in desperate need of some tlc. However, I have an idea on how to make the development of the site much more…

Violence is one common occurrence that affects the youth of South Bronx. When comparing numbers it is revealed that more adolescents were witnesses to a shooting than were sexually abused. That means that more than one in four children saw a shooting in their lives. Equally alarming, by statistics, approximately as many people that were present at a shooting would go on to threaten another person with a weapon. Even fights without a weapon were common occurrences to a large portion of the…

“Why should I care what other people think of me? I am who I am. And who I wanna be (Avril Lavigne).” Self confidence is not a toy. Instead it is a feeling of trust in one's abilities, qualities, and judgment. In the book Bronx masquerade, by Nikki Grimes, three superb characters are Steve, Tanisha and Raynard. They were full of Surprises as they fluctuat their self-confidence, like a huge roller coaster. For starters, Steve has intermediate sized confidence in himself, which has developed a…

Although uncommonly known today, human zoos were an abnormal phenomenon that unexpectedly got popular. They were swept under the rug by businessmen who flooded the headlines with other things to overshadow and hide the outbreak of hate against human zoos. People forgot about them and soon they were an unknown form of entertainment, especially after racial equality campaigns began to have some precedent. However, even before it became an equal rights problem, it was still controversial for its…

Mott Haven is a community district in the South Bronx. Mott Haven attracts new immigrants from diverse cultures due to its affordability, economic opportunities, and its access to cultural institutions (“Mott Haven – Choice Neighborhoods Initiative”, 2014). In 1849 Jordan Mott purchased the land of what is now known as Mott Haven. He purchased the land for workers’ homes to support his iron works business on the Harlem River at East 134st (“Mott Haven – Choice Neighborhoods Initiative”, 2014).…

Taxes are an integral part of any economy. As a responsible Bronx Tax Payer, you are supposed to pay your taxes and file your returns on time. While these are important exercises, most people consider this to be a formality or a burden hence do not understand the intricacies of the process and things related to it. Did you know that as a tax payer, there are certain rights that you have? Paying taxes is not only a duty but it also comes with some benefits and rights that you as a responsible…

Growing up in the Bronx in the 1970’s could have seem a little harsh. With many gang and crime activity it was not a pretty place to be in, Especially in the southern portion of the Bronx, which saw a drastic decline in its population. For some people it looked very much like a ghost town, with many abandoned skyscrapers and closed down shops. Overall the people lived in treacherous house conditions, and had a poor quality of life. This is where Kim Rivers, Raised by his mother and father, grew…

As a South Bronx native, this image captures the intensity and hardship living within the poverty stricken, run-down South Bronx through the stare and body positioning of a young woman into the camera due to a time of much turmoil and change within the community. These two girls are the representation dreadful history of “The Bronx is Burning”. Her stare is sharp into the lens as she is slouching within the graffitied…

Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning,” discusses the political, economical, and social fall of New York in 1977. The term originated in 1972 after a documentary series episode of the same title was aired. The term became more socially recognized during the 1977 World Series game where the New York Yankees faced the Los Angles Dodgers. Helicopter camera views show video clips of actual fires during the arson breakout caused by the economic fall of the South Bronx during the 1970s. Socially, the Bronx…