Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 27, 1993 TAG: 9306250096
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Carolee Bondurant, a founder of the Council for Community Enrichment [DiscoveryWorks] stated the original mission was "to encourage children to develop a better sense of self-worth by strengthening creative skills and talents and to provide enrichment opportunities in the community."
Does the writer have any idea what this statement means? By repeatedly referring to the organization's promotions of art, music, drama and creative thinking in "parking lots of housing projects" for "children who live in the Fairfax Village and Willow Woods housing projects," she is reinforcing the children's negative self-worth image the council sought to change. The use of labels stigmatizes the very ones being labeled.
When I hear the term "projects" in relation to housing, an oppressive, negative connotation is implied and assumed. I have a stereotypical image of "ghetto," "slums," "welfare," "drugs, guns and violence" and of a "run-down blighted area or neighborhood" that comes to mind.
I am a resident of Fairfax Village Apartments, and do not consider my home to be any of these things. In fact, the property management of Fairfax Village works hard to prevent this negative image from becoming reality.
Yes, in my neighborhood there are many who must live on low incomes and public assistance due to illness and age, single parenting, student or job training status, unemployment or other special circumstances, but this in no way should reflect negatively upon us as a community. It does not help our children by labeling their homes as being in "the projects."
I have searched my lease over and over, and nowhere does it state I am living in the projects. Rather, my lease agreement states that "these premises shall be known as Fairfax Village Apartments" according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Virginia Housing Development Authority.
The Council for Community Enrichment recognized the effect a name can have on an organization. In fact, Director of Education Lane Ducker said the group decided to change its name to DiscoveryWorks "to better reflect the mission and long-term goals which are now becoming realizable."
Perhaps Joanne Anderson, the writer, might consider following DiscoveryWorks' example of "creative thinking" and strengthen her own "creative skills" by avoiding the use of terms that add additional destructive stigmatization. Why call attention and differentiate the children of Fairfax Village and Willow Woods for the purpose of this article?\ Susan Vary Traxel\ Radford
by CNB