Source of Motivation

This is just a note to inform you that I was particularly delighted to read Ruth Ryon’s insightful article. Imagine my surprise when I saw the headlines in the Real Estate section referring to my neighborhood, “The Jungle.” I have lived in “The Jungle” since 1967, when it was a community of predominantly young black professionals. Though it has made a transition to housing many low-income people, and the community now must contend with crime and drugs--there are still many black professionals living in “The Jungle.” For example, I am a member of this group (I am a college educator). There is also another category--black undergraduate and graduate students. This leads me to my next point.

In your article, you mentioned that unemployed or part-time employed persons are viewed as potential criminals or troublemakers. This does not necessarily have to be the case. Many of the black students go through phases of unemployment, part-time employment, and sometimes full-time employment. Again, I happen to be part of this group. I am a doctoral student from UCLA, majoring in urban planning. In fact, I am working on my doctoral dissertation, focusing on black community development. There are quite a few black students from UCLA, USC, Pepperdine and other universities living in “The Jungle” who undergo varied phases of employment. I just wanted to clarify this particular misperception.

Otherwise, I felt the article was very informative, particularly since it highlighted the well-kept properties (like my apartment), as well as those in need of rehabilitation.

REHEMA GRAY

Los Angeles