quote:
Originally posted by cannon_fodder
While I hope a nice memorial is constructed (federal funding would be nice), I highly doubt anything else will come of it.
"Oh look a statue, lets get our community back on track!"
Sad, but much of the North Side community is more concerned with looking cool to their friends than finishing school, getting a decent job, or doing anything with their lives. Nothing different than most kids... except too many of them are not being nudged into the right direction. I'm far too ignorant on this topic to know what the root of the problem is, but I doubt a new statue will correct it.
I don't think anyone is expecting the physical statue alone to motivate people to improve their neighborhoods. However, it does assist in providing a sense of community. It's also a geographical connection between the north side and the rest of the city. The state of the north side cannot improve until the level of segregation diminishes. As long as the north side remains cut off from the rest of the city, its marginalized residents will continue to fail to see beyond the low-expectations and drug culture so prevalent within their local boundaries. This monument is a step in the right direction in reacquainting North Tulsa with the rest of the city, and providing closure for crimes of humanity committed 86 years ago that many Tulsa residents are still not aware of. My hope is that a Greenwood renaissance coupled with Langston's nearby campus will become anchors for a higher level of expectation within the North Tulsa community.
