Part IV: Debriefing

I had felt absolutely no threat from any person I encountered in Homewood. I never for one moment felt that I was in danger. I hadn't expected to be in danger, but then again, I had never before visited a ghetto as a stranger.

I had tried very hard not to hope for much in the way of human interaction during my visit. I did not want to be disappointed. Instead, I had found people to be much more willing to converse than I would have expected. Some of the people I had passed were clearly waiting for my own greeting or sign of recognition before they would offer theirs. When they got my greeting, they freely responded, and their expressions relaxed perceptibly.

I knew from my readings of much African-American literature that more than any other black people, those living in the ghetto had every reason to distrust white people. But these people were obviously willing to make their decisions on a case-by-case basis. That is not to say that they were crazy about me being there. But I felt that by coming into their community and showing them every bit of respect that I could, I had passed muster and left people feeling relatively unconcerned about my presence.

One thing that was clear was that Homewood residents at the opposite ends of the age spectrum were the most trusting. At the young end of the spectrum, I was not at all surprised that the children were still trusting and open. I would have felt very sad if they had not been. I've had too much experience with ghetto children not to expect them to behave this way. At their best young ghetto children are as friendly, loving, and curious as any other young children. At their worst, they have had to grow up too fast, and lack qualities such as the natural curiosity of the young child.

But the friendly, relaxed attitude of the much older generation puzzled and thrilled me. I wondered whether these folks were just too savvy to be suspicious of some young white chick walking her dog through the 'hood. Where's the threat?

I'd learned years ago from a black friend that a sign which can tell a black person much about an approaching white person is whether he or she will maintain eye contact. I had made an effort to meet the gaze of every person I encountered, even if it was from a distance. I was not afraid, and maintained an attitude of confidence that I had nothing to fear.

Maybe the older generation is simply better at sizing people up than young adults, who face a life full of unknowns and have reason to fear the future. This is a question I find worth pursuing.

The woman who had given me the business about "just out walking the dog" was roughly half way between the children and the elderly, age-wise. She was the most up front with her suspicion, but at the same time did not seem threatened. She just wanted to know what was really going on here, and expressed her desire to know with a touch of ironic humor.